Nashik: Oxygen tank that leaked was activated just 3 weeks ago
Mumbai: The tank from which liquid oxygen leaked at a civic-run hospital in Nashik, killing 22 COVID-19 patients, was operationalised just 21 days before the incident, an official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when the patients, who were either on ventilator or oxygen support, suffocated to death after their oxygen supply stopped suddenly because of a malfunction in the main storage at Dr Zakir Hussain Hospital in Maharashtra's Nashik city.
The police registered an FIR on Thursday against unidentified persons under Indian Penal Code Section 304-A (causing death by negligence) following a complaint by a senior inspector of Bhadrakali police station, Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey said.
"The oxygen tank, having a storage capacity of 13 KL, was operationalised on March 31," another police official said quoting information provided by the hospital's superintendent.
White fumes engulfed the area after the leakage, said the official who was present at the spot.
He said the police also got to know that the oxygen tank belonged to (Vadodara-based) Inoxcva company and was taken on rent for 10 years from Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (a Japanese company which supplies industrial gases like oxygen and nitrogen to a wide range of industries).
Patients were being provided oxygen from the round white-coloured tank, installed in the hospital premises, via a pipeline, he said.
According to the official, the leakage occurred when oxygen was being filled into the tank from a tanker.
He said the oxygen leakage started around 12.20 pm. An employee managing the tanker present at the spot and the hospital administration staff tried to stop the leakage.
Later, the hospital administration called an engineer who rectified the malfunctioning and the leakage was stopped between 1.45 pm and 2 pm, the official said.
"The patients died due to disruption of the oxygen supply following leakage from the tank," he said.
It happened because of "negligence and carelessness" on part of some people who were yet to be identified, he said.
Accordingly, an FIR has been registered against unidentified persons, the official said.
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Allahabad HC orders probe into 'reinstatement' of teacher in UP's Barabanki
Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered a probe by the special task force (STF) into alleged irregularities in the rejoining of a teacher at City Intermediate College in Barabanki, observing that the reinstatement appeared to be prima facie illegal.
The court also directed the recovery of the salary paid to the teacher during the disputed period.
A bench of Justice Rajeev Singh passed the order on a petition filed by the college management committee. The court expressed doubts over the roles of the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Barabanki, the college principal and the teacher concerned and hence, directed a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Taking note of alleged manipulation of records and misleading submissions, the court ordered the immediate transfer of the Barabanki DIOS to ensure a fair probe. It also directed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the then joint director of education of the Ayodhya division.
In its order, the court found that the teacher, Abhay Kumar, was initially appointed as an assistant teacher in 2018 but joined an Eklavya Model Residential School in Chhattisgarh as a lecturer in June 2024 without obtaining permission from the management. His subsequent request to retain the lien was rejected.
Despite this, he was allowed to rejoin the Barabanki College in September 2025 on the directions of the joint director of education and the DIOS, and was even paid the salary for October 2025. The court termed the rejoining "wholly illegal" and lacking any legal basis.
The bench also expressed concern over lapses in communication within the education department and directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to ensure that official orders are communicated through email and WhatsApp as well, to prevent disputes.
The matter is next listed for hearing on May 28 when a compliance report is sought.
