As many as 18 coronavirus patients died after a fire broke out at a hospital in Gujarat's Bharuch in the early hours on Saturday.
The incident occurred at Welfare Hospital and the blaze erupted at around 1 am at the facility’s Covid-19 ward, an official said. About 30 other coronavirus patients were rescued by local and firefighters, the official added.
According to eyewitnesses, the blaze completely ruined the ICU ward of the hospital. Numerous medial equipment including ventilators were charred.
Relatives of the deceased gathered outside the facility in the wee hours of the day, demanding action against hospital staff.
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Responding to the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief.
"Pained by the loss of lives due to a fire at a hospital in Bharuch. Condolences to the bereaved families," Modi tweeted.
"As per information at 6.30 am, the death toll in the tragedy stood at 18. Immediately after the fire, we had confirmation of 12 deaths," a police official told PTI.
The 12 patients in the Covid-19 ward died due to the fire and resultant smoke, Bharuch SP Rajendrasinh Chudasama said.
It is not clear if the remaining six also died in the Welfare hospital or while being shifted to other hospitals.
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The Covid-19 designated hospital is situated on the Bharuch-Jambusar highway, around 190 km from the state capital Ahmedabad and is being run by a trust.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official said.
The fire was controlled within an hour and around 50 patients were rescued by locals as well as firefighters, a fire official said. They were shifted to nearby hospitals, he added.
There were chaotic scenes outside the hospital as authorities tried to calm the agitated kin of the victims.
Inside the hospital, the scenes were even grimmer as gut-wrenching visuals of the tragedy showed remains of some patients roasted alive on stretchers and beds. Some patients were charred beyond recognition and relatives found it difficult to identify their bodies.
(With PTI inputs)
