Bharuch: At least 16 coronavirus patients died after a fire broke out at a hospital in Gujarat's Bharuch in the early hours on Saturday.
There were around 50 other patients at the four-storeyed Welfare Hospital when the fire broke out in the COVID-19 ward at 1 am. They were rescued by locals and firefighters, an official said.
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The COVID-19 designated hospital is situated on the Bharuch-Jambusar highway, around 190 km from the state capital Ahmedabad and is being run by a trust.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official said.
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The fire was controlled within an hour and around 50 patients were rescued by locals as well as firefighters, a fire official said. They were shifted to nearby hospitals, he added.
"I express my condolences to the patients, doctors, and hospital staff who lost their lives in the fire accident at Bharuch Hospital. The state government will provide assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each of the victims of the accident," Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani tweeted.
"Pained by the loss of lives due to a fire at a hospital in Bharuch. Condolences to the bereaved families," PM Narendra Modi tweeted, expressing shock over the incident.
PTI inputs
