At least 11 people killed in fire at Indian hospital Covid ward

The cause of the blaze is still not known, and an investigation is being launched (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

A fire that broke out at a Covid-19 ward in western India has claimed the lives of 11 people.

The ward in the city of Ahmednagar, in the state of Maharashtra, had 17 patients when the blaze erupted earlier today.

Police say the six surviving patients remain in a stable condition, and the fire has since been brought under control.

However the cause of the inferno is still not clear, and officials have said they will carry out an investigation to get to the bottom of it.

The former chief minister of the state, Devendra Fadnavis, took to Twitter to express his condolences and called for ‘strict action’ against those responsible.

Hospital fires are not uncommon in India, with poor maintenance and a lack of proper firefighting equipment often putting people’s lives in danger.

A man is carried away for treatment after the devastating blaze in Ahmednagar (Picture: AP)

Firefighters inspect the Covid-19 ward after today’s fire was brought under control (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

In May, as the country was battling a devastating surge of coronavirus infections, a fire in a Covid-19 ward killed at least 18 patients in Bharuch city.

As many as 50 patients were undergoing treatment in the ward when a fire broke out in the ICU.

Officials said at the time that they suspected the blaze was caused by a short circuit.

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