At least 18 coronavirus patients were killed as a fire broke out in a hospital in western India, police said early Saturday.
Hospital workers and firefighters rescued dozens other patients at the hospital in Bharuch, a town in Gujarat state. The fire broke out at around 1:00 a.m. local time (0730 UTC).
Responders extinguished the fire in a COVID-19 ward on the ground floor within an hour, the Press Trust of India news agency quoted fire officer Shailesh Sansiya as saying.
Patients were being shifted to nearby hospitals, according to Asia News International agency.
Earlier this month, 13 COVID-19 patients were killed in a fire in an intensive care unit in the Virar area on the outskirts of Mumbai.
India’s COVID crisis
India’s second coronavirus wave has surpassed global records.
On Friday, India recorded over 385,000 new coronavirus cases. The country has accumulated 208,330 COVID-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
Hospitals around India have struggled with shortages of beds and medical supplies.
More than 40 countries have committed to sending vital medical aid to hard-hit India.
fb/aw (AP, AFP, dpa, LUSA)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-at-least-12-killed-in-india-covid-hospital-fire/a-57395179?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf