An oxygen tanker at a hospital leaked in Nashik, India, killing 22 COVID-19 patients who were on ventilators

• 22 coronavirus patients in Nashik, India, died after an oxygen tanker at their hospital leaked.
• A local official said they died "due to the interrupted supply of oxygen."
• India is battling a devastating coronavirus surge and shortages in oxygen to treat patients.

Twenty-two coronavirus patients in India, who were on ventilators, have died after an oxygen tanker leaked at their hospital, officials said.

The Indian broadcaster NDTV reported that they were killed on Wednesday at the Zakir Hussain Hospital in the city of Nashik, in the western Maharashtra province.

Local official Suraj Mandhare told NDTV "As per current information, 22 people have died due to the interrupted supply of oxygen at the Zakir Hussain municipal hospital."

This video tweeted by NDTV journalist Umashankar Singh shows gas leaking from the tanker:

-Umashankar Singh उमाशंकर सिंह (@umashankarsingh) April 21, 2021

Rajesh Tope, the health minister for the Maharashtra state, said: "As per the information available with us, patients who were on ventilators at the hospital in Nashik have died. The leakage was spotted at the oxygen tank which was supplying oxygen to these patients," NDTV reported.

He added: "The interrupted supply could be linked to the deaths of the patients in the hospital."

India is currently battling a huge surge of the coronavirus, and has reported more than 200,000 cases a day for seven days in a row. As of Wednesday, the country has recorded more than 15.6 million cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Hospitals are also reporting huge oxygen shortages.