Maharashtra hospital fire kills 11 COVID patients, ICU engulfed in smoke

Tragedy has struck at a government hospital in the town of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra where 11 patients afflicted with Covid-19 died from smoke-related asphyxiation and burns as a fire broke out in the ICU floor of the hospital, forcing workers and bystanders to evacuate patients. Of the 17 patients in the ward, six survived. Most are above between 60-83 years of age.

"Some patients died of burns, while some died due to the smoke. We are waiting for a detailed postmortem report. Further investigation in the case is on," Topkhana police station's assistant police inspector Juber Mujawar said on Sunday.

"Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire in a hospital in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest," tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

State officials who inspected the gutted ICU ward were told by hospital management that a short circuit spark had caused the fire although the local fire and rescue department alleged that the hospital had neglected it's recommendations to improve fire safety in the building during two previous audits. Chief fire officer of the city civic body Shankar Misal was quoted by PTI as saying that the hospital did not install fire-safety equipment due to 'insufficient funds'. Maharashtra State Minister Jayant Patil said that a committee had been appointed to assess the cause of the fire after which it would be determined if the hospital's neglect had contributed to the tragedy.

"Within minutes of the fire, there was smoke in the ward. Some of us tried to use fire extinguishers but as the smoke had engulfed the ward, we had no option but rush the patients out of the ward. We succeeded in moving them out of the ward, but found that some of them had died, may be because the system shut down and oxygen supply to the ventilators got cut off," said nurse Surekha Andhale to the Sunday Express.

District Guardian Minister Hasan Mushrif said the government will take some action against those found guilty. "If there was any negligence from the hospital administration, the government will certainly take stern action against them," he said. In April this year, 15 COVID-19 patients had died in a blaze at the ICU of a private hospital in the state's Palghar district.