Ahmedabad, Aug 6, 2020: Eight people on August 6 died after a huge fire broke out at a private hospital for coronavirus patients in Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s commercial capital.
As the blaze broke out at the Shrey Hospital in Ahmedabad’s Navrangpura area at around 3 am, eight fire engines and 10 ambulances of the fire department were rushed to the site. Five men and three women – admitted to the ICU ward – died.
About 45 patients were admitted to the 50-bed hospital at the time of accident; rest of them have been rescued and shifted to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, a civic hospital in the city, an official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths in his home state. “Saddened by the tragic hospital fire in Ahmedabad. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Spoke to CM @vijayrupanibjp Ji and Mayor @ibijalpatel Ji regarding the situation. Administration is providing all possible assistance to the affected (sic),” he tweeted this morning.
Visuals from the site showed the fire officials carrying out rescue operations as family members of the patients outside the hospital – disturbed as the news of fire broke – tried to get more information about them.
Sources said the blaze broke out due to a short circuit. The bodies of the eight patients have been taken for postmortem.
With more than 65,000 coronavirus cases so far, Gujarat is among the 10 worst-hit states in India by the outbreak. Around 48,000 patients have recovered so far. The state also lost 2,552 people to Covid-19 until the end of August 5.
Across India, more than 1.96 million patients have been affected by the pandemic so far; more than 40,000 have died due to highly infectious disease.
Source: ndtv.com