In a Nashik hospital where the city's Covid-19 patients depended on a steady flow of breath itself, a liquid oxygen tank began to leak and the supply faltered, and twenty-four people died during the hour and twenty minutes the flow was cut off. The episode lays bare a frightening fragility in the systems meant to keep the sick alive, where a valve, a contract, and a repair crew's timing can decide who breathes. Authorities have answered with a criminal case that names no one, a court that called the failure unworthy of a civilised society, and several inquiries that must now trace the chain of
Nashik Police File FIR as Bombay HC Questions How Oxygen Failure Killed 24 Covid Patients
24 Covid-19 patients died after oxygen supply was disrupted at the Nashik hospital.
Oxygen was less in supply, yet leakage was happening
Mark
Start with the basics. What actually went wrong in Nashik?
Mimi
A valve on the 13 kilo litre liquid oxygen tank malfunctioned. Pressure dropped, the tank leaked, and supply to the hospital almost stopped for about an hour and twenty minutes. Twenty-four Covid patients died.
Mark
The tank was new, wasn't it?
Mimi
Only 21 days in use. The contract was sent to the company last September, but the tank became operational only by March 31.
Luke
Careful with the timeline, though. The account of low pressure, the valve leak and the engineers being called comes from the Advocate General summarising a preliminary report. It's not yet an independent finding.
Mark
So who is responsible?
Mimi
That's open. The FIR is under Section 304A against unnamed people, citing carelessness. The company installed and maintained the tank, but the FIR doesn't name it.
Luke
Right. Naming no one means the police haven't said who. Company officials aren't due to give statements until Friday.
Mark
Why so many inquiries?
Mimi
There's the police probe, a seven-member state committee under Radhakrishna Game, and an NMC inquiry the BJP-ruled corporation ordered itself.
Luke
And what the committees will find is unknown. The reporting doesn't say whether they'll share a mandate or a deadline.
Mark
What does the court want next?
Mimi
A detailed affidavit from the state before May 4.
Der Puls
- A liquid oxygen tank at Nashik's Dr Zakir Hussain hospital leaked and cut supply to Covid-19 patients, and 24 of them died.
- Oxygen was already running at low pressure when the tank was refilled, and engineers were called in to repair a valve while a tanker was still filling it.
- Police have filed a negligence case against unnamed persons, and three teams are taking statements from families, hospital staff, and the maintenance company.
- The Bombay High Court has demanded a detailed affidavit from the state before its next hearing on May 4, and the question of who maintained the tank remains open.
In a Nashik hospital where the city's Covid-19 patients depended on a steady flow of breath itself, a liquid oxygen tank began to leak and the supply faltered, and twenty-four people died during the hour and twenty minutes the flow was cut off. The episode lays bare a frightening fragility in the systems meant to keep the sick alive, where a valve, a contract, and a repair crew's timing can decide who breathes. Authorities have answered with a criminal case that names no one, a court that called the failure unworthy of a civilised society, and several inquiries that must now trace the chain of responsibility. What comes next will show whether the public can see clearly who answers for a loss that was measured in breaths.
On Wednesday, oxygen was seen escaping from the main storage tank at the Dr Zakir Hussain municipal hospital in Nashik. By the time supply failed, 24 Covid-19 patients had died. On Thursday police registered a case under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code, which covers death caused by negligence, but it named no one. The same day the Bombay High Court said it could not understand how such a thing could happen in a civilised society, noting that oxygen was scarce even as it was leaking.
The state's preliminary account, prepared by the local authority, said oxygen was flowing at low pressure on Wednesday and the tanks were refilled that day. Inspectors found a leaking valve and called engineers, and while repairs were pending a tanker arrived to fill the tank. The pressure fell so far that supply almost stopped, and for about an hour and twenty minutes the deaths occurred.
The 13 kilo litre tank had been in use for only 21 days. It was installed under a ten-year rental contract with Taiyo Nippon Sanso, and the company was also responsible for maintenance. Police teams are gathering statements from families, hospital officials and company staff, and several inquiries are underway, including a state committee and an independent municipal probe. The High Court expects a detailed affidavit before May 4, and until then the statements and inquiries will determine who answers for the valve, the maintenance, and the delayed repair.
On Wednesday, oxygen was seen escaping from the main storage tank at the Dr Zakir Hussain municipal hospital in Nashik. By the time the supply failed, 24 Covid-19 patients had died. On Thursday, Nashik Police registered an FIR under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code, which covers causing death by negligence. It names no one. The FIR says the leak in the tank feeding oxygen to the patients occurred because of the callousness and carelessness of unnamed accused persons.
The same day, the Bombay High Court took cognizance of the deaths. The bench said it failed to understand how such a thing could happen in a civilised society, noting that oxygen was in short supply even as it was leaking. It called the matter one of concern and said this was not what the court expected from a responsible government.
Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, appearing for Maharashtra, gave the court the state's account. He submitted a preliminary report prepared by the local authority, which has also gone to the state chief secretary. According to it, oxygen was flowing on Wednesday but at low pressure. The tanks were refilled the same day. Inspectors then found a leak in a valve and called in engineers to repair it, and in the meantime the tanker arrived with oxygen to fill the tank.
Kumbhakoni told the bench that all the oxygen in the tank leaked out because of the low pressure. Pressure fell so far that supply to the hospital almost stopped. The cut-off lasted about one hour and 20 minutes, and it was during that period that the deaths occurred.
The tank was a 13 kilo litre liquid oxygen unit that had been in use for only 21 days when a valve malfunctioned. It was installed by Taiyo Nippon Sanso Private Limited under a contract awarded by the Nashik Municipal Corporation to put up such tanks on rent at two Covid-19 facilities in the city. The contract ran for 10 years, with the NMC to pay Rs 1.62 crore to rent the tanks and Rs 2 crore to refill them. The terms were sent to the company last September, but the tank was made operational only by March 31. The company was also responsible for maintaining it, according to the state's submission.
Three police teams have been deputed to record statements from the victims' families, hospital officials and employees of the company responsible for maintaining and refilling the tank. Statements from some family members and hospital officials were taken on Thursday. Company officials have been asked to appear before police on Friday.
There are now several parallel inquiries. The Maharashtra government has set up a seven-member committee headed by Nashik Divisional Commissioner Radhakrishna Game. The BJP-ruled NMC has ordered its own independent inquiry, a proposal moved by Standing Committee chairman and BJP corporator Ganesh Gite, with corporators and NMC officials on the panel.
The High Court has directed the state to file a detailed report, in the form of an affidavit, before the next hearing on May 4. Until then, the police statements and the inquiries will be the places to watch for who is held responsible for the valve, the maintenance, and the delay in repair.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
We fail to understand how it can happen in a civilised society.— Bombay High Court bench
The entire oxygen in the tank leaked due to low pressure, and supply to the hospital almost stopped.— Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, in court
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