13 COVID-19 patients dead in Maharashtra hospital fire incident

Mumbai : Nothing less than 13 COVID-19 patients have been reported dead in a fire incident in the ICU section at a hospital in Maharashtra's Virar, about 70 km from state capital Mumbai.

"Around 90 patients were admitted to the hospital at the time of the incident," Dilip Shah, CEO, Vijay Vallabh Hospital, told reporters this morning. 

In the visuals available online and on different media outlets, chaos can be seen as medical staff rushes other patients to safety.

The incident comes at a time when Maharashtra is battling with the second wave of coronavirus infection at an all-time high single day cases. More than 67,000 new cases of coronavirus were registered on Thursday. 

With a total caseload of over 40 lakh infections, Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the country by the pandemic.

"I got a call at around 3 am from a friend whose mother-in-law was admitted to the hospital. As I reached the hospital, I saw fire engines outside. The ICU at the second floor was engulfed in smoke. Only two nurses were there, and I couldn't see a doctor. It took firefighters about half an hour to put out the flames. We could see eight-ten bodies there," NDTV quotes Avinash Patil, an eyewitness.

Rejecting claims that there were no doctors at the hospital last night, Dilip Shah said: "Doctors were present". He also stressed that the hospital is following all fire safety norms.

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