MUMBAI: In a shocking incident, ten COVID-19 coronavirus patients under treatment were killed after a fire broke out at a Mumbai mall hospital where COVID-19 patients were being treated on Friday

According to a police officer at the site, the fire broke out at the five-storeyed Dreams Mall Sunrise Hospital situated in the Bhandup area of Central Mumbai Suburbs shortly after midnight and it soon engulfed several floors.

The hospital is situated on the third floor of the mall building which has several hundred shops and stores and many patients including those being treated for COVID-19 were at the hospital when the fire broke out. So far out of the 78 patients who were being treated about 46 have been traced, fire fighting personnel are trying to account for the others. 

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar who visited the site expressed surprise that a hospital was operating inside the mall. "I have seen a hospital at a mall for the first time," the mayor said, adding action will be taken if irregularities were found in allowing the facility to operate there.

However, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackery, who visited the hospital admitted that only temporary permission had been given to some hospitals to operate considering the pandemic situation. "The temporary permission will end on March 31," he said. 

Thackeray said strict action will be taken against those found responsible for the fire, and also apologised to the families of the victims. He also announced Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each deceased.

Somaiya said the hospital was made by Wadhawan for his gynaecologist daughter Dr. Nikita Trehan. Somaiya said, “Dr. Nikita Trehan is the real daughter of Wadhwan. Wadhwan has invested money in the Dream mall as well in his daughter’s venture. Dr. Nikita is also one of the directors in the firm that owns the Dream Mall.” 

He also said that the hospital was given only a conditional Occupation Certificate by the BMC.

Operations Head of Sunrise Hospital Satyendra Tiwari, however, refuted this claim, he said that the hospital had all the licences and permissions were in place and the fire broke out in the mall below and not in the third-floor hospital premises.