Large fire kills 10 ICU Covid-19 patients in Indian hospital

A preliminary investigation suggests the blaze was caused by a short circuit, District Collector Rajendra Bhosle sai

Ten Covid-19 patients have died after a fire broke out inside a hospital ICU in Ahmednagar, a city in India’s western Maharashtra state, on Saturday morning. One person was also injured.

A preliminary investigation suggests the blaze was caused by a short circuit, District Collector Rajendra Bhosle said, Indian media reports. Another official was quoted as saying that the destroyed ICU had recently been built to treat Covid-19 patients.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray ordered an investigation into the incident. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “anguished” by the loss of lives.

India has seen several deadly ICU fires this year. In April, 14 patients were killed in a blaze at a hospital in Virar, Maharashtra. A similar fire broke out at a hospital in the state of Gujarat the following month, where 16 patients and two nurses died.