Seven patients found dead in lift after huge fire tears through hospital

At least seven patients are dead and 30 people are injured after their hospital burst into flames today.

Two woman and a child are among those who died at a private four-storey hospital in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India, on Thursday.

It is understood they were all found unconscious in a lift before they were declared dead, local media reports.

It is not yet known whether there are any more survivors or bodies in City Hospital, on Trichy Road.

But there were around 100 patients at the hospital when the fire broke out, and it is feared many of them may have been trapped inside.

A fire believed to have started from a short circuit on the ground floor quickly engulfed the entire building.

Thick smoke filling the corridors hampered escape efforts, suffocating some of those inside.

It took firefighters more than an hour to get the flames under control.

Smoke could be seen billowing out of the windows and doors even after the orange glow faded.

Rescue teams are now scouring the building and evacuating anyone they find.

Around 50 ambulances attended the scene, ferrying at least 30 people to a public hospital for treatment.

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