A devastating fire claimed the lives of 10 patients at a hospital in eastern India’s Odisha state during the early morning hours of Monday, according to local authorities.
The blaze erupted in the facility’s trauma care unit, where 23 patients were receiving intensive medical treatment at the time of the incident. The victims died during evacuation efforts as medical personnel worked to move patients to safety away from the flames.
State Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who visited the hospital following the tragedy, indicated that an electrical malfunction likely triggered the deadly fire. Five additional individuals sustained critical injuries, though officials have not determined whether these wounds resulted from the fire itself or from previous medical conditions.
Hospital staff and security workers put themselves in harm’s way during rescue operations, with several sustaining injuries while helping patients escape the dangerous situation. “Medical staff and security personnel risked their lives in rescuing the patients; during this, they too sustained injuries, and they too are under treatment,” Majhi told members of the press.
The incident occurred in Bhubaneswar, highlighting ongoing safety concerns at medical facilities across the region.
