Fire brigade personnel had a tough time dousing the fire at the ICU of the Ahmednagar civil hospital in Maharashtra on Saturday morning, as the main entrance was covered in thick smoke, and the windows had grills on them. The blaze claimed 11 lives. Most of the patients were senior citizens, and many of them were on ventilator or oxygen, which made the rescue operation trickier.

A fire audit had been carried out at the hospital, but all necessary systems were not in place for want of funds, an official claimed. Amid panic, cries and chaotic scenes, fire brigade personnel broke the window panes and began dousing the flames using water cannons, said a civic fire official whose team was the first to reach the spot after the blaze started around 11 am.