Hyderabad, Feb 7 (IANS): A fire broke out in government-run Niloufer Hospital in Hyderabad on Wednesday evening but there were no casualties, officials said.

The fire started from the biochemistry laboratory wing on the first floor of the old building, apparently due to a short circuit.

Thick smoke billowing out of the wing spread to other parts of the building, sending panic among patients and their attendants.

Some of the women and children undergoing treatment were shifted as a precautionary measure. A fire engine rushed to the spot and doused the fire.

Hospital Superintendent Usha Rani said no one was injured in the incident. The fire was suspected to have started from a refrigerator in the biochemistry lab. She said the hospital immediately used fire extinguishers.

As rubber material caught fire, it resulted in thick smoke which triggered some panic.

Located in Lakdikapul area in the heart of the city, Niloufer Hospital for Women and Children is one of the oldest and biggest government-run hospitals in Telangana.