Two patients died during the chaotic evacuation at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barisal late on Tuesday after a fire broke out in a storage room, officials and witnesses said.

The blaze started shortly before 11 pm on the fifth floor of the new building, in a corner where foam, bed sheets and pillows were kept for patients, according to eyewitnesses.

The dead were identified as Kazi Ataur Rahman (80) from Patuakhali and Abul Hossain (67) from Barisal. Relatives of Rahman alleged that he suffered from respiratory distress and was dependent on oxygen, but was moved downstairs without it during the evacuation. His condition deteriorated rapidly, they said.

Hospital authorities, however, claimed both patients were already in a critical condition before the incident.

Smoke from the blaze quickly engulfed the corridor, creating panic and severely reducing visibility. Staff, relatives and medical personnel scrambled to move patients to lower floors.

“The smoke was more terrifying than the fire. We couldn’t see anything. Everyone was just busy moving patients,” a hospital employee said.

Fire service units reached the scene and brought the blaze under control after about 40 minutes, but not before thick smoke had spread across the entire floor. Four members of the Ansar security force and two others fell ill while helping to extinguish the fire.

Dr Abdul Munayem Saad, assistant director at the hospital, said the rapid evacuation had prevented a larger disaster. About 100 patients from two units in the new building were shifted safely to the older section, said deputy director Dr Nazmul Ahsan.

A preliminary investigation by the fire service suggested the fire may have been caused by a cigarette or an electrical short circuit, according to Barisal fire station officer Abuzar Ghifari.