CM Uddhav Thackeray assures strict action in hospital fire, announces Rs 5 lakh aid

Mumbai: A major fire broke out at a COVID-19 hospital in the Bhandup region of Mumbai on Friday (March 26) morning. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said strict action will be taken against those found responsible for the fire, which resulted in the death of 10 patients.

CM Uddhav Thackeray visited the site and spoke to the reporters. He apologised to the families of the victims and announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to the kin of each deceased.

भांडुप येथील ड्रीम मॉलमध्ये लागलेल्या आगीमुळे सनराईज रुग्णालयातील रुग्णांच्या झालेल्या मृत्यूंची मुख्यमंत्री उद्धव बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांनी गंभीर दखल घेत प्रत्यक्ष घटनास्थळी जाऊन त्यांनी पाहणीही केली. मृतांच्या वारसांना प्रत्येकी ५ लाखांची मदत जाहीर करण्यात आली आहे. pic.twitter.com/zWwioeEWVe — Office of Uddhav Thackeray (@OfficeofUT) March 26, 2021

CM Uddhav Thackeray said the fire did not break out in the hospital, but at some office or shop situated below it.

According to officials, the incident occurred in Sunrise Hospital in the Dreams Mall building in the Bhandup area shortly after Thursday (March 25) midnight. The hospital is situated on the top floor of the four-storeyed mall building and there were 76 patients, most of them being treated for COVID-19 when the fire broke out.

The Chief Minister said the state government had last year allowed some hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients given the spread of the disease and they said that the facility in the Bhandup mall was one of them. "The permission was to end on March 31. Unfortunately, the fire broke on the first floor of the mall and spread upwards," he said.

The CM said that efforts were made to rescue all the patients admitted at the hospital. However, it took some time to evacuate those who were on ventilators. "Unfortunately, they died," he said.

"We wake up after such incidents take place and then a probe is carried out. This incident, too, will be investigated. Action will be taken as per law probe against whoever is at fault," Thackeray added.

He said that in the recent past he had issued instructions to carry out structural and fire audits of COVID-19 care centres and field hospitals across the state.

"I had asked (the authorities) to ensure such incidents do not occur. Still, unfortunately, this has taken place.

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