Fire in Indian hospital COVID-19 ward kills 11 patients

New Delhi, Nov 7 (BNA): Eleven patients died Saturday after a fire broke out in a COVID-19 ward of a hospital in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, police said.

Police Inspector Jyoti Karkadi said there were 17 patients in the ward in Ahmednagar city where the fire started. She added that the remaining six patients are in stable condition.

While the fire was brought under control, the cause was not immediately clear. Officials said they would conduct an investigation.

The country’s former prime minister, Devendra Fadnavis, took to Twitter to express his condolences and called for “severe action” against those responsible.

Such incidents are not uncommon in India. In May, as the country was battling a devastating surge in coronavirus cases, a fire in a COVID-19 ward in western India killed at least 18 patients.

Poor maintenance and lack of proper firefighting equipment often cause fatalities in India.

MI