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Blast rocks coronavirus hospital in Chelyabinsk

Two patients died due to lack of oxygen

MOSCOW, October 31. /TASS/. The death of two patients in a coronavirus hospital in Russia’s Chelyabinsk was caused by the lack of oxygen after the fire and explosion in the oxygen booth, a source in the emergency services told TASS.

"According to preliminary information, the death of these patients occurred after the shutdown of the oxygen supply because of the fire and an explosion in the oxygen booth. The exact causes of their death will be established during the examination," the source said.

However, Chelyabinsk Region Governor Alexey Texler told reporters that, according to preliminary reports, the death of two hospital patients was unrelated to the blast and fire. "We heard a report by a resuscitator, he sees no connection between the fire and patients’ deaths," he said. According to the governor, their death occurred before the fire.

According to the office of the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Urals Federal District, 198 people were evacuated from the building. The regional government earlier said that about 150 patients had been diagnosed with COVID-19.