11 COVID patients killed after fire ravages ICU in Ahmednagar hospital

The blaze erupted around 11 am in the ICU where 20 COVID-19 patients, many of them senior citizens and some on ventilator or oxygen, were undergoing treatment. Ahmednagar city is located 120 km from Pune.

The fire was doused around 1.30 pm, said chief fire officer of the city civic body Shankar Misal, adding that a short circuit was suspected to be the cause though it was yet to be confirmed.

After the incidents of fire at hospitals treating COVID-19 patients elsewhere, fire audits had been ordered across the state. As per Ahmednagar District Collector Rajendra Bhosale, such an audit had been carried out at this hospital too.

But according to Misal, after the audit, the work of installing necessary safety systems was incomplete due to “want of funds”. As injured patients were rushed to a nearby hospital, 10 of them were declared brought dead, police said. One patient succumbed later. As many as 15 patients were on ventilator or oxygen in the ICU. “Saving them was the priority. But due to their critical condition, to remove the oxygen support and bring them out was a tough decision,” said one fire brigade official. A probe committee headed by Misal will look into what led to the tragedy, the Collector said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to district guardian minister Hassan Mushrif and chief secretary Sitaram Kunte and asked them to ensure that other patients admitted at the hospital get proper treatment without any disturbance, a statement from the CMO said. “The CM said an in-depth probe will be conducted by the district collector,” a statement read.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed grief over the loss of lives in a major fire that broke out in a hospital in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar this morning.

In a tweet, Modi said, “Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire in a hospital in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest.” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said it was painful to see the loss of lives following a fire at a hospital in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra and urged party workers to help in relief work. He also sent his condolences to the families of those killed in the fire. In a tweet, he said, “My condolences to the kin of those who lost their lives. I appeal to congress workers to assist in the relief work.”

BJP leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the incident as “very shocking and disturbing”. Condoling the deaths, he sought “in-depth inquiry” and strict action against those responsible.