At least 12 coronavirus patients were killed in a fire at a hospital in Gujarat’s Bharuch in early hours on Saturday.
Around 50 other patients undergoing treatment at Welfare Hospital were rescued by locals and firefighters, officials said.
"At least 12 patients undergoing treatment in the COVID-19 ward were killed in the fire and resultant smoke," said Bharuch SP Rajendrasinh Chudasama.
He feared that casualties may go up. The four-storeyed designated COVID-19 hospital is situated on the Bharuch-Jambusar highway and is being run by a trust.
The fire broke out around 1 a.m. in a COVID ward on its ground floor, said fire officer Shailesh Sansiya.
The fire was controlled within an hour and around 50 patients were rescued by locals as well as firefighters, he said, adding that they were shifted to other nearby hospitals.
The exact reason for the fire is not known yet, the officials said.
