Two Covid-19 patients reportedly died in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh early on Monday morning after a technical glitch disrupted oxygen supplies at the hospital that was treating them, The New Indian Express reported.

Authorities at the Maharaja Central Hospital, however, claimed the deaths were not related to the oxygen crisis, even as 25 other Covid patients had to be shifted from there to another facility.

“Doctors made it clear that the deaths were not due to lack of oxygen supply,” Vizianagaram District Collector M Hari Jawaharlal told The New Indian Express. “The condition of the deceased patients was critical when they were being treated.”

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The district official said that because of a technical glitch, the pressure of oxygen decreased in the hospital that has 290 patients, 25 of whom are on oxygen support. “We immediately rushed to the hospital and after that, [when] there was a low supply of oxygen, we immediately ensured that there was no problem to the patients,’’ Jawaharlal added.

He said that alternate arrangements were being made to ensure uninterrupted supply of oxygen to patients, and an oxygen tanker from Visakhapatnam was being transported to the district hospital for that.

Deputy Chief Minister Pamula Pushpasree Vani said that in the meantime, 15 patients who were on oxygen support, were shifted to a private hospital in Vizianagaram, according to The New Indian Express. She said the technical glitch in the oxygen system of the hospital would be resolved by Monday evening.

At least 20 coronavirus patients in Delhi died on Saturday after Jaipur Golden Hospital ran out of oxygen. A day earlier, 25 “sickest” coronavirus patients died overnight at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi amid a last-minute scramble for oxygen. The situation is worsening by the day, with hospitals taking to social media to plead with the government to replenish their oxygen supplies and threatening to stop admissions of new patients.