<p>At least 18 coronavirus patients died after a fire broke out at a hospital in Gujarat's Bharuch in the early hours on Saturday.</p> <p>Gut-wrenching visuals of the tragedy showed remains of some patients&nbsp;on stretchers and beds.</p> <p>There were around 50 other patients at the four- storeyed Welfare Hospital when the fire broke out in the COVID-19 ward at 1 am. They were rescued by locals and firefighters, an official said.</p> <p>"As per information at 6.30 am, the death count in the tragedy stood at 18. Immediately after the fire, we had confirmation of 12 deaths," a police official told PTI.</p> <p>The 12 patients in the COVID-19 ward died due to the fire and resultant smoke, a senior police officer in Bharuch,&nbsp;Rajendrasinh Chudasama, said.</p> <p>It is not clear if the remaining six also died in the Welfare Hospital or while being shifted to other hospitals.</p> <p>The COVID-19 designated hospital is situated on the Bharuch-Jambusar highway, around 190 km from the state capital Ahmedabad and is being run by a trust.</p> <p>The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official said.</p> <p><span class="cmt_btnOut"><span class="cmt_btn"><a class="btn_bm cmt-ac cmt-dn"><span class="ndtv-cmnt-cnt">8</span>Comments</a></span></span>The fire was controlled within an hour and around 50 patients were rescued by locals as well as firefighters, a fire official said. They were shifted to nearby hospitals, he added.</p>

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