No Casualties Reported After Incident at Oxygen Supply Line at Moscow Coronavirus Hospital

The Kommunarka hospital in the south of Moscow became one of the first and main hubs for treating patients with severe cases of the COVID-19 infection, where they could be sustained using ventilators while receiving treatment for the symptoms.

Officials of the Kommunarka hospital for COVID-19 patients have denied reports of an explosion purportedly taking place at the facility that emerged earlier on social media platforms. 

Moscow’s health authorities later clarified that an oxygen supply line had burst. The line is currently undergoing repair works, but the unsealing did not affect the regular operations at the Kommunarka hospital, the Moscow Health Department stated.

The city's emergency services reported that the incident took place in a building that was still under construction and that it did not result in any casualties or start any fires.

Russian broadcasters earlier published several videos on social media showing "white smoke" coming from the area of the hospital complex.

Очевидцы сообщают о громком хлопке в Коммунарке pic.twitter.com/fC7TYUcMwg

— НТВ (@ntvru) November 18, 2020

Предположительно, в Коммунарке взорвался кислородный трубопровод. Данных о пострадавших нет pic.twitter.com/2YAbUNjXyz

— НТВ (@ntvru) November 18, 2020

The Kommunarka hospital has been used as a centre for the treatment of severe cases of COVID-19 infections since the start of the pandemic in Russia. It has allowed people who are infected to be treated and ventilators to be used for those who need them to breathe.