Fire breaks out in hospital near Mumbai: 3rd such incident in Maharashtra in a week

Friday’s fire in a hospital, which led to 15 deaths in Virar, is the third such incident in a week in Maharashtra

Friday’s fire in a hospital, which led to 15 deaths in Virar, is the third such incident in a week in Maharashtra. Earlier this week, 24 Covid patients died after a leakage in an oxygen tank in Nashik led to disruption in the supply of oxygen. On Wednesday, 11 patients reportedly died due to lack of oxygen in a hospital in Beed district.

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In Virar, 14 Covid patients were charred to death as a fire broke out on the second floor of a four-storey private hospital, Vijay Vallabh Covid Care Hospital, at 3.15am on Friday. A relative of one of the victims, who was also suffering from Covid, died of shock.

Opposition leader and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis said, “This has been the fifth such case related to hospitals in the past six months. We have witnessed tragic incidents at hospitals in Bhandara, Nagpur, Nashik, Bhandup and now at Virar. After every incident, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray says that a fire safety audit would be conducted, but nothing comes out of it. Covid-19 hospitals are currently under tremendous pressure and in such a backdrop, the state should set up a mechanism for fire safety.”

“Orders have been given to the administration to undertake a thorough inquiry and those found responsible will not be spared. The government has already announced a financial assistance of ₹5 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives,” said Eknath Shinde, urban development minister and Shiv Sena leader.

“The incident is unfortunate and it is the responsibility of everybody to ensure such incidents do not occur in the future. We will know the cause of the fire after the inquiry. However, it would not be correct to blame the government as it happened at a private hospital. All the process and SOPs are in place; no permissions are given without a fire and safety audit,” said Nawab Malik, minority affairs minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the state government should ensure that such incidents do not occur again.

Patole, who visited the Virar hospital along with his party colleague and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat, said, “Action would be taken against those who are responsible for the negligence.”

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray described the incident as heart-wrenching.

He tweeted “I understand, there is a tremendous strain on the state machinery, but these tragic incidents are overwhelming. It’s crucial for the government to take immediate corrective measures and look into the overall functioning and the fire safety of hospitals. A thorough audit needs to be done and if any shortfalls or errors come up, they need to be rectified.”