The fire is believed to have started in the air-conditioning unit of an ICU ward on the second floor of the five-storied hospital building. 

There were at least 37 more patients on the floor of which four were rescued and the rest came running out to safety on their own, and another 27 were shifted to a nearby hospital, an official said. 

At least four firetenders have rushed to the spot to battle the massive conflagration, and more details are awaited. 

Expressing grief over the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Saddened by the hospital fire in Nagpur. My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives. Praying that the injured recover at the earliest."