NEW DELHI, June 4 (Xinhua) -- At least five people died and 20 others received burn injuries when a private hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) caught fire in India's eastern state of Bihar early Thursday, confirmed a senior administration official.
The hospital was located in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. The death toll was feared to rise since some of the injured were said to be in a critical condition.
According to the local fire department, the fire broke out at around 03:55 a.m. local time. There were 13 patients inside the ICU when it caught fire. Some patients in the adjoining wards were also injured.
Nearly 20 patients were rescued by fire department personnel and later admitted to hospitals for further treatment.
It was believed that an electric short circuit had caused the fire, according to local media reports. ■