Twenty people were killed when a major fire broke out in Bhubaneshwar’s SUM hospital in Odisha on Monday, reported The Times of India. Several people were injured in the incident at the private healthcare institute.

The injured were taken to AMRI hospital and Capital Hospital in the city. Salil Mohanty, vice president of AMRI hospital, said, "I can confirm we have received eight persons dead from SUM Hospital fire." Capital Hospital authorities said they had received 14 patients who had been declared dead on arrival.

The fire started at the dialysis ward on the second floor of the facility on Monday evening. At least 40 patients were reportedly present in the ward when the fire broke out. DGP (fire services) Binoy Behera said, "We engaged adequate fire tenders and rescue teams. Cause of the fire mishap is being investigated."

Hospital's deputy superintendent Basant Pati said, "Soon after the fire mishap, we shifted all patients to safer places. We also broke open some windows to prevent suffocation of patients. Our own staffers were engaged to rescue the patients." Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the fire started from an electric short circuit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern about the incident and asked Health Minister JP Nadda to transfer the critically injured to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.