Fire in Indian hospital COVID-19 ward kills 10 patients

NEW DELHI (AP) — Officials in western India say 10 patients have died after a fire broke out in a hospital’s COVID-19 ward. An official told New Delhi Television on Saturday that around 17 patients were in the ward in city of Ahmednagar in Maharashtra state when the fire broke out. The remaining patients have been moved to a COVID-19 ward in another hospital. While the fire has since been brought under control, the cause was not immediately clear. Such incidents are not uncommon in India. In May, when the country was battling a devastating surge in coronavirus cases, a fire in a COVID-19 ward in western India killed at least 18 patients. Poor maintenance and lack of proper firefighting equipment often cause deaths in India.