Eight COVID-19 patients have died after a huge fire broke out at a private hospital for coronavirus in Gujarat's Ahmedabad early Thursday morning.

Around 40 other COVID-19 patients have been rescued and shifted to a civic hospital after the fire broke out at Shrey Hospital in Ahmedabad's Navrangpura area, according to a report by news agency PTI. Those who died were admitted to the ICU ward, an official was quoted as saying by the news agency.

Visuals showed fire officials carrying out rescue operations as family members of patients outside the hospital – disturbed as the news of the fire broke – tried to get information about them.

Receiving the news of the fire, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces ex-gratia of Rs 2 Lakhs each from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to be given to those injured due to the fire.