At least five Covid-19 patients killed in Rajkot hospital fire; PM Modi expresses anguish
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Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said five patients and have lost their lives, while 26 others who were undergoing treatment were rescued and shifted to other hospitals
At least five coronavirus patients were killed in a fire that erupted at the ICU of a Covid-19 hospital in the western Indian city of Rajkot early on Friday.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said five patients and have lost their lives, while 26 others who were undergoing treatment were rescued and shifted to other hospitals.
He added that the fire broke out midnight at around 12:30 am in the ICU section on the first floor of the four-storey Uday Shivanand Hospital, where about 31 people were hospitalised.
"...it was brought under control within half an hour by the fire brigade. While three coronavirus patients died on the spot, two others succumbed to the injuries while they were being shifted to another hospital," he told reporters as quoted by news agency PTI.
"Nobody else was injured in the incident. Twenty-six other patients, including those who were undergoing treatment on the upper floors, were shifted to other hospitals."
Rajkot Police Commissioner Manoj Agarwal also confirmed the casualties and said that the blazes were brought under control before it could spread to other floors.
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani ordered a probe into the accident and announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh (USD 5,423.54) to the kin of those who lost their lives.
CM Shri @vijayrupanibjp has expressed grief over the incident of fire at Shivanand COVID Hospital in Rajkot. CM has ordered a probe into the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs.4 lakh each to the family of deceased.
— CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) November 27, 2020
The deputy CM added that preliminary probe suggested a short circuit in one of the ventilators.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his "pain" for the ones who lost their lives in the fire and said the administration is ensuring all possible assistance to the ones affected.
Extremely pained by the loss of lives due to a hospital fire in Rajkot. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones in this unfortunate tragedy. Praying for a quick recovery of the injured. The administration is ensuring all possible assistance to those affected: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 27, 2020
"Extremely pained by the loss of lives due to a hospital fire in Rajkot. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones in this unfortunate tragedy. Praying for a quick recovery of the injured. The administration is ensuring all possible assistance to those affected," the Prime Minister Office said in a tweet.
This is the second major fire accident in a hospital in the state of Gujarat recently.
Earlier, eight coronavirus patients were killed after a fire broke out at a private hospital in Ahmedabad.