The fire broke out in the ICU at Vijay Vallabh Hospital in Virar in Palghar district
Thirteen COVID-19 patients were set on fire in the intensive care unit at Palghar Private Hospital in Maharashtra district on Friday, April 23, 2021, police said.
A fire broke out in the ICU on the second floor of the four-story Vijay Vallabh Hospital in Virar just after 3am, an official said. Firefighters put out the blaze at 5.20am, he added.
There were 17 patients in the ICU when the fire broke out, the official said. Four patients were rescued and taken to other hospitals in the area, he added.
Virar is more than 50 miles from Mumbai.
The tragedy comes two days after 22 COVID-19 patients who had been breathing or being supplied with oxygen were suffocated to death when their oxygen supply suddenly stopped due to a malfunction of a large storage facility at a public hospital in Nashik.
District Disaster Control Cell official Vivekanand Kadam said the fire at Virar Hospital was preceded by an explosion in the AC unit in the intensive care unit.
Relatives of the deceased arrived at the hospital shortly after hearing about the incident and called for strong action against the perpetrators.
Ten infants were killed in a fire that broke out in the newborn at the Bandara Hospital in Maharashtra on January 9. Seventeen babies, aged one to three, were admitted to the ward at the time of the accident.
A fire broke out at the Durban Mall, Mumbai, which housed Covid's third-floor hospital on the night of March 25-26. The fire, which lasted for more than 40 hours, claimed nine lives, including that of patients who were supported by respirators.
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