India Bhubaneswar hospital fire kills at least 23

They say the fire started in the dialysis ward of the SUM hospital, a private facility in the city of Bhubaneswar, Odisha state.

Dozens of patients were taken to other medical facilities in the city.

About 120 firefighters were mobilised to tackle the blaze, which was later brought under control. PM Narendra Modi said he was "anguished" by the fire.

"We suspect the fire occurred due to an electric short circuit in the dialysis ward", Binoy Behera, a local fire services official, was quoted by the Times of India website as saying.

Most of the victims reportedly died from smoke inhalation.

Some frightened patients and hospital employees tried to jump out of the building's windows but were prevented from doing so by police, reports said.

"Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in the hospital fire in Odisha. The tragedy is mind-numbing. My thoughts are with bereaved families," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

In 2011, 89 people died in a fire that broke out in a hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata.

Source: BBC