10 Dead In Fire At ICU Ward Of A Hospital In Maharashtra's Ahmednagar
Videos show the heart-breaking sight of doctors desperately trying to revive some of those caught in the fire, and those fortunate to be shifted out can be seen waiting in the courtyard.
At least 10 patients died and several were injured in a massive fire that broke out at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Ahmednagar Civil Hospital in Maharashtra on Saturday.
The fire broke put at around 11 am and was in the hospital's COVID-19 ward, in which 17 patients had been admitted. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has ordered a probe into the tragedy.
Maharashtra | A total of 10 people died in a fire incident at Ahmednagar District Hospital, said District Collector Rajendra Bhosale pic.twitter.com/zrUnAMKNMj
¡ª ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2021
'Fire audit' conducted
The remaining patients have been shifted to a Covid ward in another hospital, District Collector Dr Rajendra Bhosle told reporters, adding that a 'fire audit' of the structure had been conducted.
As soon as the fire ripped through the hospital, four fire tenders were rushed to the spot to control the blaze which was spreading to other adjoining wards, IANS reported.
ANI
"Hospital authorities, aided by locals and rescue teams, managed to shift many patients from the neighbouring wards as a precaution," an official of the Ahmednagar Police Control said.
Cause of the blaze
The cause of the blaze, which has now been extinguished, is as yet unknown, but preliminary investigations by the fire department suggest it started due to an electrical short circuit, Dr Bhosle said.
Visuals show smoke pouring out of the lower floors of the hospital. Others show some people slowly re-entering the ward after the fire was put out, with soot-stained walls and broken ceiling panels visible.
File
Other videos show the heart-breaking sight of doctors desperately trying to revive some of those caught in the fire, and those fortunate to be shifted out can be seen waiting in the courtyard.
"Very shocking and disturbing"
Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis tweeted calling for "strict action against all responsible people".
"Very shocking and disturbing news from Ahmednagar. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones... Praying for speedy recovery of the injured. In-depth inquiry should be conducted & strict action against all responsible people!" he tweeted.
Very shocking & disturbing news from Nagar
¡ª Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) November 6, 2021
My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in Nagar Civil Hospital ICU Fire incident.
Praying for speedy recovery of the injured.
In-depth inquiry should be conducted & strict action against all responsible people! https://t.co/aULpawsrmv
At least 20 patients were undergoing treatment in the civil hospital¡¯s ICU, while scores of relatives rushed to the hospital for information on their kin, eyewitnesses told IANS. The fire was brought under control around 1 pm leaving the ICU ward charred.
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