No casualties have been reported so far, and the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

About 30-35 patients were rescued and shifted to local hospitals, said Vaibhav Krishna, senior superintendent of police, Gautam Buddha Nagar.

In India, hospitals are also tinder boxes where the lack of fire safety measures snuff out life.

Monday's incident has brought back chilling memories of Calcutta's AMRI hospital fire in December 2011, that claimed lives of 92 people.

Reports say the possible cause of the fire was a short circuit in a window AC unit on the ground floor of the five-storey structure.

As many as 147 people, including patients, were trapped inside when the fire broke out at ESIC Kamgar Hospital at Marol in suburban Andheri.