Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep grief over the loss of lives in the major fire that broke out at Vijay Vallabh Covid Care hospital in Virar West on Friday morning.
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Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the tragic fire accident at a #COVID19 hospital in #Virar, Maharashtra. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief and pray for the speedy recovery of those who have sustained injuries.
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) April 23, 2021
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Thirteen Covid-19 patients lost their lives in the incident, the hospital’s CEO Dr Dilip Jain confirmed.
The fire started around 3.15 am due to a short-circuit in the air conditioner in the intensive care unit (ICU). It was extinguished by 5.30 in the morning.
The fire department has confirmed that there were 17 Covid patients in the ICU. The five survivors have been shifted elsewhere.
Vijay Vallabh Hospital is a private entity functioning as a Covid hospital.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Thackeray spoke to concerned officials and directed them to focus on extinguishing the fire completely and ensuring treatment of other patients continues uninterrupted.
