B’desh hospital fire leaves 3 COVID patients dead

A major fire on Wednesday morning in a hospital Dhaka has left three COVID-19 patients dead, said a senior health official.

The official said that the victims were being treated at the ICU ward of the hospital.

Nazmul Haque, Director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told Xinhua that 14 patients were in the ICU ward when a "high pressure oxygen device" exploded at around 8:00 am (local time).

"Three of the ICU patients died while they were shifted to another ICU unit of the hospital following the fire," he said.

Haque added that the victims were in critical condition and receiving life-supporting treatment through ventilators.

In May last year, five patients died in a devastating fire incident at the makeshift COVID-19 unit of United Hospital in Dhaka.