BackMaharashtra govt announced ₹5 lakh ex-gratia for kin of deceased in Covid hospital fire
State Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed grief over the incident and directed the local administration to probe the cause of the blaze
PremiumMaharashtra government has announced that financial assistance of ₹5 lakh each will be provided to the families of those who lost their lives after a fire broke out at Vijay Vallabh Covid care hospital in Virar early on Friday.
"This is a big accident. Those found responsible will not be spared. The government will provide financial assistance of ₹5 lakhs each to the families of those who lost their lives," minister Eknath Shinde was quoted as saying by ANI.
Earlier, state Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed grief over the incident and directed the local administration to probe the cause of the blaze.
A statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said that Thackeray spoke to the district authorities on learning about the fire incident.
He asked the authorities to shift the other patients elsewhere.
"Give priority to douse the fire completely and ensure the treatment of the remaining patients is not hampered," the statement quoting the chief minister said.
He said that Vijay Vallabh Hospital is a private facility and a probe should be conducted on whether the fire safety measures were being followed there.
According to officials, the blaze erupted in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital shortly after 3 am on Friday, in which five women and eight men died.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis also expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased patients and demanded an in-depth inquiry and strong action against those responsible for the incident.
"One more devastating incident. Deeply pained to know about the loss of lives in Virar Covid Hospital ICU fire. My deepest condolences to bereaved families. Wishing speedy recovery to injured Covid-19 patients. We demand an in-depth inquiry and strong action against those responsible," tweeted Fadnavis.
The incident comes just two days after 24 Covid-19 patients lost their lives after an oxygen tanker leaked outside Dr Zakir Hussain Hospital in Nashik.
With inputs from agencies.
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