Fire breaks out at ICU of COVID hospital in Gujarat's Rajkot; 5 patients killed

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RAJKOT: A hospital fire in Rajkot city of Gujarat claimed as many as five lives in the wee hours of Friday (November 27). The fire had broken out in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the designated COVID-19 hospital in Rajkot. 

According to reports, as many as 11 patients were inside the ICU at the time of the incident. While six out of 11 patients in ICU were saved, the other five lost their lives. 

Reports further stated that the fire might have broke out due to a short circuit on the second floor of the COVID hospital.

While local authorities have good reason to believe that the blaze started from the ICU, the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

The Rajkot fire department has managed to control the blaze while all patients have been relocated to another hospital.

The fire broke out in the ICU of Uday Shivanand Hospital in Mavdi area, where 33 patients were admitted, around 1 am on Friday. "We rushed to the spot and rescued 30 patients after a call informing about the fire was received. Three patients died inside the ICU," fire brigade official JB Thevasaid told PTI.

In August, eight COVID-19 patients were killed after a fire broke out on the top floor of a four-storey private hospital in Ahmedabad.