A fire broke out at Vijay Vallabh Hospital in Virar in Mumbai early on Friday morning. Thirteen Covid-19 patients lost their lives in the incident, the hospital's CEO Dr Dilip Jain confirmed.

The fire started around 3.15 am due to a short-circuit in the air conditioner in the intensive care unit (ICU). It was extinguished by 5.30 in the morning.

The fire department has confirmed that there were 17 Covid patients in the ICU. The five survivors have been shifted elsewhere.