4 die in Chhattisgarh COVID-19 hospital fire; probe ordered
Raipur, Apr 18: Authorities have ordered an investigation after four coronavirus patients were killed in a fire at the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Chhattisgarh's Raipur city, police said on Sunday.
Raipur Collector Bharathi Dasan has ordered an investigation into the incident. Officials have been directed to conduct safety check at all coronavirus hospitals in the city.
The fire broke out at Raipur's Rajdhani hospital on Saturday, police said.
"Four persons died in the incident, one from fire injuries and three due to suffocation," a police official said, adding a case of negligence will be registered against the owners of the hospital.
The fire broke due to short-circuit in a fan and spread in other wards, police said.
A supervisor saw smoke coming out of the intensive care unit and informed the hospital authorities, who alerted the police about the incident. The fire brigade and hospital staff rescued the patients. It took about an hour to extinguish the fire.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed grief over the incident and announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased.
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Himanta resigns as Assam CM, paving way for formation of new govt
Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday resigned along with his cabinet colleagues, paving the way for formation of a new government led by the BJP, officials said.
The BJP-led NDA bagged 102 seats in the 126-member assembly. The assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 9, and counting of votes took place on May 4.
"Following the formal notification of the results of #AssamElections2026 and to enable the formation of the new government, Dr @himantabiswa tendered his resignation as Chief Minister along with that of the council of Ministers to Hon'ble Governor Shri @Laxmanacharya54 today at Lok Bhawan," the Chief Minister's Office said in a post on X.
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The Governor has accepted the resignation, and requested Sarma to continue as the caretaker CM till the new government assumes office, it said.
Later, speaking to reporters outside the Lok Bhawan, Sarma said the oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place after May 11.
“As it was a historic win, we have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grace the occasion," he said.
The new Assam chief minister will be selected at a meeting of the BJP legislature party in presence of central observers, Sarma said.
