Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Friday said the fire incident at a private hospital in Virar, which killed 13 COVID-19 patients, was "not a national news".
However, the minister later made it clear that earlier in the day when he was speaking to reporters about the issues he would be discussing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he was suddenly asked a question related to the Virar fire tragedy, to which he had responded.

Talking to reporters earlier in the day, Tope said, "We will be speaking about oxygen, Remdesivir...the Virar incident though is not a national news."