Alwaght- At least 19 people were killed during a fire in a hospital in India, health authorities said on Tuesday.
The Indian ministry of health, Arti Ahuja said the fire happened in a hospital in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the Indian state of Odisha.
Another 106 were injured, she said.
The fire started about 7:30 p.m. local time at the Sum Hospital, a private hospital and medical college, and was contained in less than two hours, according to Ahuja.
More than 600 patients were admitted to the hospital when the blaze broke out in the first-floor dialysis unit.
The fire then spread to the intensive care unit.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to the incident on Twitter, calling it a "mind-numbing" tragedy.
"Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in the hospital fire in Odisha. The tragedy is mind-numbing. My thoughts are with bereaved families."
According to preliminary reports, most people might have died due to smoke inhalation, Ahuja said.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, she said.
