8 persons died and 176 were injured in a blaze that erupted in the state government-run ESIC Kamgar Hospital in Mumbai on Monday.
Firefighting operations to extinguish the level 4 fire the second level on the fire severity alarm scale went on for over three hours.
The deceased include a five-month-old girl. Another, a woman, fell on the ground, along with her firefighter rescuer, from a crane. Four of the six deceased were yet to be identified at the time of going to press.
"Altogether 176 persons, including three firemen, are now being treated in city hospitals," an official from Disaster Management Unit of BMC said.
Among the admitted, over 25 are critical while 26 have been discharged after primary treatment, " he said.
"The cause of the fire is not known yet. Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) is responsible for the fire audits, whether they carried out fire audits or not, that will be investigated," Mumbai Mayor V Mahadeshwar told news agency ANI.
The 325-bed hospital was constructed in 1970s, the officials said, adding police and hospital authorities have vacated the building till further notice.
Fire brigade personnel had to break the glasses of the building's facade to evacuate stranded patients, they said.
Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Sharma said an inquiry will be launched in association with the fire brigade department to ascertain the cause of the fire.
(With inputs from agencies)
