Earlier we have reported that a major fire broke at Sum Hospital, a leading private healthcare institute, in Bhubaneswar late on Monday. Now the death toll has risen to 22 and about 120 people have been reported injured.

While 14 patients were declared “brought dead” at Capital Hospital, eight were “brought dead” to AMRI Hospital from the fire-struck private medical facility, officials said.

“Most of the victims were in the first floor ICU of SUM Hospital,” a doctor at the Capital Hospital said.

The condition of most patients shifted to different hospitals across Bhubaneswar and Cuttack was stated to be steady, even as one person died at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, on Tuesday morning.

Earlier, after a verification, the death toll was put at 19 by the Odisha government on late Monday night.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who visited AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, and AMRI Hospital in the morning, said patients were recovering well. As many as 105 patients were getting intensive care treatment at nine hospitals.

Mr. Patnaik described the mishap as “very tragic“. He ordered an inquiry headed by a revenue divisional commissioner into the incident.

Attendants of patients blamed the hospital authorities for lack of communication in the evacuation process.

“Till last minute, we were assured that fire would be brought under control and there was no need to shift out of the ward. But when smokes became suffocating, hospital staff fled the spot. We were left to evacuate our near and dear ones on our own,” said Bibhuti Bhushan Sahoo, who agonisingly moved his brother suffering from cancer down from fourth floor to a vacant place in front of the hospital. His brother Dipak Ranjan Sahoo was shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, after 30 minutes of wait for ambulance.

State Health Secretary Aarti Ahuja, who took stock of the situation, said dialysis, medicine and emergency wards had been sealed and a probe would immediately begin.

Binay Behera, Director General of Police (Fire Service) said a review meeting would be taken to ascertain if the hospital authorities had put fire safety measures in place.