With two more fatalities, Nashik's oxygen tanker leak incident leaves 24 Covid patients dead

Twenty four people died after waiting 30 minutes for oxygen supply which was disrupted as a tanker leaked outside the hospital.

All the victims were on ventilators and in need of constant oxygen supply in a Covid-dedicated facility of the hospital.

Around 150 patients were either oxygen-dependent or on ventilators.

"While refilling, a leakage occurred in the oxygen supply tank in a hospital which resulted a sudden major fall in the oxygen pressure," Suraj Mandhare, District Collector, Nashik said.

Visuals showed the gas leaking from the tanker outside the hospital and dense white fumes covering the area rapidly.

A high-level committee has been constituted to probe the incident, Nashik Mayor Satish Kulkarni said.

Earlier Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope promised the government will look into the matter and conduct a thorough probe.

Around 31 patients out of 80 who need oxygen have been shifted to other hospitals.

Reacting to the incident, Indian PM Narendra Modi tweeted: "The tragedy at a hospital in Nashik because of oxygen tank leakage is heart-wrenching. Anguished by the loss of lives due to it. Condolences to the bereaved families in this sad hour."

An official of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's office said that the victims' families will be compensated with ₹ 5 lakh each.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is himself battling with Covid, tweeted: "The news of patients’ death at Nashik’s Zakhir Hussain Hospital is extremely tragic. My heartfelt condolences to the aggrieved families. I appeal to State Govt and party workers to provide all possible assistance."

Meanwhile, Maharashtra on Wednesday registered 568 deaths due to the deadly coronavirus, which is the highest ever single-day spike in the fatality count of the state since the pandemic's outbreak.

The state also logged 67,468 fresh infections in the past 24 hours.

Pune remains the worst-affected city in Maharashtra with 10,852 Covid cases and 35 deaths.

The state's capital city-Mumbai logged 7,684 cases and 62 deaths in the last 24 hours, followed by Nagpur with 7,555 cases and 41 deaths.