At least 11 coronavirus patients were killed after a major fire broke out in the ICU of the district civil hospital in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar on Saturday, officials said.

Springing into action, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Energy Minister Nitin Raut have ordered a detailed inquiry and also warned of strict action against those found guilty. As per preliminary reports, the authorities suspect short-circuit as the cause of the fire.

Rajendra Bhosale, the district collector of Ahmednagar, located around 120 km from here, confirmed that 11 patients died in the blaze that erupted around 11 am in the intensive care unit (ICU), where 20 COVID-19 patients were undergoing treatment.

As many as 15 patients were on ventilator or oxygen in the ICU. "Saving them was the priority. But due to their critical condition, to remove the oxygen support and bring them out was a tough decision," said a fire brigade official. "After discussions, we decided to bring them out anyhow and later put them back on oxygen or other support systems," he added. Most of those who died were aged between 65 and 83, according to hospital officials.

This is not the first time this year that such fatalities have occurred. In April, 15 COVID-19 patients had died in a blaze at the ICU of a private hospital in Palghar district of Maharashtra. Another fire in March at Dreams Mall in Mumbai's Bhandup, which housed a Covid-designated hospital, had claimed the lives of nine patients.

After repeated incidents of fire at hospitals treating COVID-19 patients, fire audits had been ordered across the state. As per Bhosale, such an audit had been carried out at this hospital too. But according to Shankar Misal, chief fire officer of the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation, after the audit, the work of installing necessary safety systems was incomplete due to "want of funds".

"I have ordered a detailed inquiry into this incident. Meanwhile, the electricity inspection department has reached the incident spot. The inspection team will start its inquiry after the police panchnama is completed," Raut said.

Misal said that after the fire broke out, police and fire brigade personnel rushed to the facility and began rescue and fire fighting operations. "The fire was doused around 1.30 pm and the cooling operation is on," Misal said, adding that the short circuit is suspected to be the cause behind it. A police official said that after the fire, the injured patients were rushed to a nearby hospital, where 10 of them were declared brought dead.

Bhosale added, "The bodies of all 10 victims were then sent for post-mortem and the reason behind their death - whether it was caused due to suffocation or due to disruption in medical oxygen supply is being investigated."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have expressed grief over the incident. "Anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire in a hospital in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest," Modi said in a tweet.

Rahul said, "My condolences to the kin of those who lost their lives. I appeal to congress workers to assist in the relief work."

BJP leader and former CM Devendra Fadnavis described the incident as "very shocking and disturbing" and demanded an in-depth inquiry. "My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in Nagar Civil Hospital ICU Fire incident. Praying for speedy recovery of the injured," he said in a tweet.