11 patients die in fire at Maharashtra COVID hospital

Mumbai : Eleven patients lost their lives in a fire incident at Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a Maharashtra hospital on Saturday morning.

Three to four people have also been reported injured in the incident. The fire was in the hospital's COVID-19 ward, in which 17 patients had been admitted.

The other patients have been shifted to COVID ward of other hospital, District Collector Rajendra Bhosle told reporters, adding that a 'fire audit' of the structure had been conducted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted in the evening to say he was "anguished by the loss of lives".

"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", he said.

CM Uddhav Thackeray has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those who died. He has also ordered probe in the matter.