Authorities have ordered an investigation after five patients died in a fire at the COVID-19 ward of a private hospital in Chhattisgarh’s capital city Raipur, police said on Sunday.
Raipur Collector S. Bharathi Dasan has ordered an investigation. Officials have been directed to conduct safety check at the pandemic hospitals in the city.
“Five coronavirus patients died in the incident. One was charred to death and the others died due to suffocation,” a police official said, adding a case of negligence will be registered against the owners of the hospital.
A supervisor saw smoke coming out of the ward and informed the hospital authorities, who alerted the police. The fire brigade and hospital staff rescued the other patients. It took about an hour to extinguish the fire.
“The fire broke out in the COVID-19 ward of Rajdhani super speciality hospital at 4.30 p.m. and was brought under control by the firefighters in 20 minutes,” the police said.
When the fire broke out, there were around 30 patients in the ward, they said.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed grief over the incident and announced a compensation of ₹4 lakh each to the families of the deceased.
