Eight COVID-19 patients die in hospital fire in western India

Police officers and relatives stand outside a hospital where a fire broke out inside an intensive Care Unit (ICU) treating patients infected with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Ahmedabad, India, August 6, 2020. REUTERS/Stringer

AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - Eight COVID-19 patients died in a fire that broke out in the intensive care ward of a private hospital in India's western city of Ahmedabad early on Thursday, officials said as they launched a probe into the incident.

Police stopped angry relatives from entering the Shrey Hospital in Gujarat state's largest city after the tragedy which, according to emergency services, was caused by a medical staff member's personal protective equipment (PPE) catching alight.