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Gujarat: 18 COVID-19 patients killed in fire at Bharuch hospital

There were around 50 other patients at the four-storeyed hospital when the fire broke out in the COVID-19 ward at 1 am, an official said

Gujarat: 18 COVID-19 patients killed in fire at Bharuch hospital

Fire breaks out at a COVID-19 care centre in Bharuch. ANI

Bharuch: At least 18 patients died after a fire broke out at a hospital in Gujarat's Bharuch in the early hours on Saturday.

Gut-wrenching visuals of the tragedy showed remains of some patients burned alive on stretchers and beds.

There were around 50 other patients at the four-storeyed Welfare Hospital when the fire broke out in the ward at 1 am. They were rescued by locals and firefighters, an official said.

“According to primary information, probably 12 people have been killed in the incident of fire at Patel Welfare Hospital’s dedicated care centre at 12:30 pm in Bharuch,” says police pic.twitter.com/4Y5IUg0XYB

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2021

"As per information at 6.30 am, the toll in the tragedy stood at 18. Immediately after the fire, we had confirmation of 12 deaths," a police official told PTI.

The 12 patients in the ward died due to the fire and resultant smoke, Bharuch SP Rajendrasinh Chudasama said.

It is not clear if the remaining six also died in the Welfare hospital or while being shifted to other hospitals.

The designated hospital is situated on the Bharuch-Jambusar highway, around 190 km from Ahmedabad and is being run by a trust.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official said.

The fire was controlled within an hour and around 50 patients were rescued by locals as well as firefighters, a fire official said. They were shifted to nearby hospitals, he
added.

Updated Date: May 01, 2021 08:46:19 IST

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