22 Covid patients dead after oxygen leak at Dr Zakir Hussain NMC hospital in Maharashtra's Nashik

Maharashtra FDA minister Dr Rajendra Shingane called it an “unfortunate incident” and ordered an enquiry. “It’s an unfortunate incident. We’re trying to get a detailed report,” Shingane was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Twenty-two people, all of them Covid-19 patients, died after the oxygen supply was interrupted at a hospital in Maharashtra's Nashik on Wednesday. According to Nashik district collector Suraj Mandhare, the supply was interrupted after leakage in one of the storage tankers at Dr Zakir Hussain Municipal Hospital.

Nashik Divisional Commissioner Radhakrishna Game told Hindustan Times that the incident took place at 10am when the socket of oxygen tank malfunctioned.(HT Photo)

A total of 157 patients were undergoing treatment at the Covid-19 hospital in Nashik, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said. “Of these 157 patients, 61 were critical with some of them on ventilator and oxygen support. Among the 22 who lost their lives, 11 are men and 11 women,” added Tope.

Also watch | Nashik: 22 patients die due to interrupted O2 supply after tank leak at hospital

Maharashtra FDA minister Dr Rajendra Shingane called it an “unfortunate incident” and ordered an enquiry. “It’s an unfortunate incident. We’re trying to get a detailed report,” Shingane was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Nashik Divisional Commissioner Radhakrishna Game told Hindustan Times that the incident took place at 10am when the socket of oxygen tank malfunctioned.

"After the incident, relatives and others started entering the ward, leading to chaos. This led to delay in restoring the situation. The entire staff is under shock," said Game.

Security has been currently tightened at the hospital to prevent any untoward incident. “We have beefed up the bandobast here after some deaths were reported. After the tragedy, the relatives are very angry," said Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey.

"The accident at Nashik's Dr Zakir Hussain hospital is extremely unfortunate. We all share the grief of the families. Guardian minister Chhagan Bhujbal ji and all the officials are in touch with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. This unfortunate incident will be thoroughly investigated," said environment and tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said what happened in Nashik is terrible. “I demand that the other patients be helped and shifted if needed. We demand a detailed inquiry,” Fadnavis told ANI.

This incident in Nashik comes 11 days after a massive fire broke out at the Well Treat Hospital in Nagpur on April 10 in which four patients including a woman lost their lives. The hospital is also treating Covid-19 patients.