Ten patients were killed in an accidental fire that broke out Monday at a public hospital in the city of Cuttack in Odisha state, eastern India, local authorities said.

Local parliament chief Mohan Charan Majhi said in a post on X that a short circuit triggered the blaze in the hospital’s intensive care and trauma unit.

He noted that 23 patients were being treated in the unit at SCB Medical College and Hospital at the time of the incident.

At least 11 staff members were injured while attempting to evacuate patients during the fire.

India frequently experiences deadly fires, often worsened by poor infrastructure and weak enforcement of safety standards.

In December 2024, a fire at a private hospital in Tamil Nadu killed six people and injured more than 20 others.