Massive fire reported at COVID-19 centre hospital in Maharashtra

A fire broke out at a COVID-19 centre in Palghar district, the patients were rushed to the nearby hospital.

Mumbai: A fire broke out at a COVID-19 centre in Palghar district on Friday (April 23), affected patients were rushed to the nearby hospital.

News agency ANI reported that the fire has claimed the lives of 12 patients and fire-fighting operations are underway.

According to reports, the fire broke out at the ICU of the Vijay Vallabh Covid Care Hospital located in Virar West where several COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment.

The blaze was noticed around 3.15 a.m. on the second floor ICU Ward in the 4-storied Vijay Vallabh Hospital of Tirupati Nagar and quickly spread to other wards, according to Virar Fire Brigade.

Several Covid-19 patients were undergoing treatment in the hospital and the staffers managed to shift around 5-6 of them to nearby hospitals.

The Fire Brigade rushed there with three fire tenders and managed to control the conflagration after two hours.

The cause of the fire is not known and further investigations are underway, said an official.

(With agency inputs)