At least 10 people are dead after a fire in a building that housed a private hospital treating coronavirus patients in India.

More than 70 patients were also evacuated from Sunrise Hospital in the Indian city of Mumbai on Friday as crews from 20 fire engines struggled to contain the blaze.

Seven of the patients were on ventilators and all survivors were moved to other hospitals, according to The Times of India.

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The cause of the fire is not known but it began on the ground floor of the building, with smoke quickly filling the hospital, which was on the third floor.

Bodies are still being identified by family and it is not clear how many of the victims were COVID-19 patients, a fire official told Reuters news agency.

It is not the first hospital fire in recent months – in August, five coronavirus patients were killed in a fire at a hospital in the city of Ahmedabad, in Gujarat state.

The city of Mumbai is seeing the worst phase of its coronavirus pandemic so far, reporting more than 5,500 cases in 24 hours on Thursday – its highest number.

India’s new COVID infections were up by 59,118 on Thursday – the highest daily rise since 18 October, according to health ministry data.

Overall, the country has recorded 11.85 million cases and 160,949 deaths.

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