ANKARA, Dec 20, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – At least ten coronavirus patients died on
Saturday after an oxygen tank explosion triggered a fire at a hospital in
southeastern Turkey, the health ministry said.
The blaze in an intensive care ward of the hospital in Gaziantep broke out
when a tank on an artificial respirator exploded.
“We are profoundly saddened by this tragedy,” Turkish Health Minister
Fahrettin Koca said before a planned visit to the hospital.
All the victims were patients who had been hospitalised with the
coronavirus. Other patients affected by the fire were transferred to other
hospitals.
Images in local media showed the ward completely destroyed by fire with
charred beds.
Turkey has recorded more than 1.9 million cases of Covid-19 and more than
17,600 deaths since the pandemic began a year ago.
Faced with a surge in cases, Turkey strengthened restrictions put in place
at the end of November with a total curfew during the weekend and partial one
during the week.