The death toll in the Nashik hospital oxygen leakage incident on Thursday rose to 29 after five more COVID-19 patients died.
The incident took place on Wednesday morning when one of the tankers supplying oxygen to patients receiving treatment for coronavirus at Dr Zakir Naik Municipal Hospital malfunctioned.
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Minister Rajendra Shingane said, "It is an unfortunate incident. We are trying to get a detailed report. We have ordered an enquiry as well. Anyone found responsible will not be spared."
Meanwhile, a seven-member committee headed by the Nashik divisional commissioner Radhakrishna Game has been set up to probe the incident.
On Wednesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for kin of the deceased, who lost their lives after an oxygen tanker leaked outside Dr Zakir Hussain Hospital in Nashik.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office, a high-level inquiry has been ordered to probe the Nashik incident and those responsible will not be spared.
"The corona-crisis has plunged the country into a vicious cycle. Overall, there is a heterogeneous battle going on against Corona, where there is no oxygen, where there are no medicines, where there are no beds. Due to this, patients are dying," CM Uddhav Thackeray said.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari expressed condolences on the loss of lives in the incident. Several states are facing a shortage of medical oxygen, especially Maharashtra.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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