Nine coronavirus patients died in a Russian hospital in the southern city of Vladikavkaz after an oxygen pipe burst underground, cutting supply to an intensive care ward, Russian news agencies reported on Monday.
"Nine patients with coronavirus died due to a lack of oxygen," the TASS news agency cited the local health ministry as saying.
"A total of 71 people were in intensive care, not all were (receiving) oxygen supply," TASS quoted the ministry as saying.
Regional authorities have agreed with the defence ministry to supply oxygen to all of the city's hospitals from the town of Mozdok, around 80 kms (50 miles) north of Vladikavkaz, RIA reported.
"There was a burst in the oxygen pipe from the reservoir, which is underground, and the oxygen supply was stopped," acting head of the North Ossetia region, where Vladikavkaz is located, was cited by RIA news agency as saying.
"Medical staff has started to connect the patients who are on ventilators to oxygen tanks. Oxygen tanks have started to arrive," acting head of North Ossetia Sergei Menyailo said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Russia Sentences Ex-US Paratrooper To 13 Years In Jail On Drug Charges Ivan The Terrible: Face Of History's "Cruellest Man" Re-Created 440 Years After His Death "Unjustified": Russia On India Facing "Enormous Pressure" Due To Energy Ties World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage 2 Passengers Die As Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express Derails In UP Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report As Hardik Pandya, Wife "Part Ways", Their Relationship Timeline In 5 Points Rs 2,500 Crore Crypto Scam Key Accused Arrested By Himachal Pradesh Police Restrictive Statutory Provisions Don't Prevent Bail: Supreme Court Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.