Eight patients are killed in an explosion at a COVID-19 unit in Turkey

Ankara – At least eight patients as a result of COVID-19 died this Saturday and eleven were injured by the explosion of an oxygen hose in a Intensive care unit (ICU) in a hospital in Gaziantep, southern Turkey.

The accident occurred at 1:45 a.m., when a device delivering oxygen to one of the patients exploded, the Gaziantep province government said in a statement.

“Eight of the 19 patients admitted to the ICU died. Another eleven have been transferred to other hospitals in the region, ”the statement said.

A team of firefighters and police officers were immediately dispatched to the scene of the accident to extinguish the blast caused by the explosion and transfer the sick to other buildings.

The authorities have opened a judicial and administrative investigation into the events.

“The deceased patients were between 64 and 85 years old. Seven died in the ICU and another during the transfer to another hospital, ”Okkes Ozeksi, editor of the local Gaziantep27 newspaper, told Efe.