Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition Congress on Saturday demanded an immediate investigation into the allegation of the death of five patients following a fire incident at the Government Medical College here.

In a statement, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said that the reported deaths of patients, who were undergoing treatment at the surgical ICU of the multi-speciality block in the state-run medical college when the fire broke out on March 17, had "deeply shocked the state".

According to hospital authorities, all patients had been safely shifted from the affected unit following the fire.

However, relatives of some of the deceased have alleged that the deaths were linked to the fire incident.

Satheesan said the allegations raised by the families were "serious" and warranted an urgent probe.

He noted that there were claims that the removal of life-support systems during the fire may have led to the deaths.

Citing the allegations of families, Satheesan said Saneesh, who had been recovering and had resumed normal food intake, saw his condition worsen after the fire incident and died the following day.

Similar concerns have been raised in the case of other victims as well, he added.

The Opposition leader alleged that the incident reflected lapses in the state's healthcare system and criticised the government over what he termed as "negligence and mismanagement".

He urged the health department and the police to immediately launch a detailed investigation into the incident.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.