Chennai, Dec 12 (Reporter) At least six people were killed and several hurt in a fire mishap at a four-storeyed private orthopaedic hospital in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu late on Thursday night. Ruling DMK MLA P Senthilkumar, representing Palani constituency, who rushed to the spot, told reporters that hospital reports said six people had died so far. However, reports from the spot said another person also died, taking the number of casualties to seven. When contacted by UNI tonight, sources in the Police headquarters, citing reports said seven people had died, but an official report was awaited from the district police. No patients had died and all the deceased were said to be attendants who had come to the hospital to meet the patients, initial reports said. The MLA said the entire district machinery was at the spot within in 20 minutes of the incident and rescue operations were taken up swiftly. He said all those trapped in the hospital, including eight people people trapped in a lift, where rescued. Since at least six people rescued from the lift were unconscious, some of them could have died of suffocation, District Collector Ms Poonkodi said. Fire fighting personnel, Revenue, police and district officials have rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. District Collector Ms Poongodi also rushed to the spot to monitor the rescue works. More than 50 ambulances were deployed and at least 32 patients, including those from ICU, were rescued alive and shifted to other hospitals. "They were shifted to hospitals for treatment after which only we will come to know about the full details on the number of casualties", she said. She said the rescue operations were on and a clear picture will be known only after the entire operation was completed. The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. He said the fire which broke out in the first floor soon spread till third floor, engulfing in smoke, leading to suffocation. All of them were rescued and the fire was brought under control, she said, adding, however, a search was on to ascertain whether anyone else was trapped inside the hospital (ED : PICK UP SUITABLY FROM EARLIER SEIRES)...////...