<p>The tank from which liquid oxygen leaked at a civic-run hospital in Nashik, killing 22 COVID-19 patients, was operationalised just 21 days before the incident, an official said on Thursday.</p>.<p>The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when the patients, who were either on ventilator or oxygen support, suffocated to death after their oxygen supply stopped suddenly because of a malfunction in the main storage at Dr Zakir Hussain Hospital in Maharashtra's Nashik city.</p>.<p>The police registered an FIR on Thursday against unidentified persons under Indian Penal Code Section 304-A (causing death by negligence) following a complaint by a senior inspector of Bhadrakali police station, Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/thorough-probe-will-be-conducted-into-nashik-oxygen-leak-incident-says-rajesh-tope-976924.html">Thorough probe will be conducted into Nashik oxygen leak incident, says Rajesh Tope</a></strong></p>.<p>"The oxygen tank, having a storage capacity of 13 KL, was operationalised on March 31," another police official said quoting information provided by the hospital's superintendent.</p>.<p>White fumes engulfed the area after the leakage, said the official who was present at the spot.</p>.<p>He said the police also got to know that the oxygen tank belonged to (Vadodara-based) Inoxcva company and was taken on rent for 10 years from Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (a Japanese company which supplies industrial gases like oxygen and nitrogen to a wide range of industries).</p>.<p>Patients were being provided oxygen from the round white-coloured tank, installed in the hospital premises, via a pipeline, he said.</p>.<p>According to the official, the leakage occurred when oxygen was being filled into the tank from a tanker.</p>.<p>He said the oxygen leakage started around 12.20 pm. An employee managing the tanker present at the spot and the hospital administration staff tried to stop the leakage.</p>.<p>Later, the hospital administration called an engineer who rectified the malfunctioning and the leakage was stopped between 1.45 pm and 2 pm, the official said.</p>.<p>"The patients died due to disruption of the oxygen supply following leakage from the tank," he said.</p>.<p>It happened because of "negligence and carelessness" on part of some people who were yet to be identified, he said.</p>.<p>Accordingly, an FIR has been registered against unidentified persons, the official said.</p>
<p>The tank from which liquid oxygen leaked at a civic-run hospital in Nashik, killing 22 COVID-19 patients, was operationalised just 21 days before the incident, an official said on Thursday.</p>.<p>The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when the patients, who were either on ventilator or oxygen support, suffocated to death after their oxygen supply stopped suddenly because of a malfunction in the main storage at Dr Zakir Hussain Hospital in Maharashtra's Nashik city.</p>.<p>The police registered an FIR on Thursday against unidentified persons under Indian Penal Code Section 304-A (causing death by negligence) following a complaint by a senior inspector of Bhadrakali police station, Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/thorough-probe-will-be-conducted-into-nashik-oxygen-leak-incident-says-rajesh-tope-976924.html">Thorough probe will be conducted into Nashik oxygen leak incident, says Rajesh Tope</a></strong></p>.<p>"The oxygen tank, having a storage capacity of 13 KL, was operationalised on March 31," another police official said quoting information provided by the hospital's superintendent.</p>.<p>White fumes engulfed the area after the leakage, said the official who was present at the spot.</p>.<p>He said the police also got to know that the oxygen tank belonged to (Vadodara-based) Inoxcva company and was taken on rent for 10 years from Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation (a Japanese company which supplies industrial gases like oxygen and nitrogen to a wide range of industries).</p>.<p>Patients were being provided oxygen from the round white-coloured tank, installed in the hospital premises, via a pipeline, he said.</p>.<p>According to the official, the leakage occurred when oxygen was being filled into the tank from a tanker.</p>.<p>He said the oxygen leakage started around 12.20 pm. An employee managing the tanker present at the spot and the hospital administration staff tried to stop the leakage.</p>.<p>Later, the hospital administration called an engineer who rectified the malfunctioning and the leakage was stopped between 1.45 pm and 2 pm, the official said.</p>.<p>"The patients died due to disruption of the oxygen supply following leakage from the tank," he said.</p>.<p>It happened because of "negligence and carelessness" on part of some people who were yet to be identified, he said.</p>.<p>Accordingly, an FIR has been registered against unidentified persons, the official said.</p>