Twelve Covid patients including a senior doctor admitted to the intensive care unit of south Delhi’s Batra hospital died on Saturday due to an 80-minute disruption in oxygen supply, a top official of the hospital said, underlining that the next 24-48 hours are critical for some more patients whose condition deteriorated due to the disruption.

Eight patients including senior consultant Dr RK Himthani (head of the hospital’s gastroenterology department died within minutes of the hospital running out of cylinders. Dr Sudhanshu Bankata, executive director of the hospital, had then expressed fears that the death toll could increase.

“And, it (deaths) is not going to stop at eight. Once the patient’s condition deteriorates then you cannot salvage that patient. There is a ripple effect, there would be many who must have destabilised by now and the number of deaths will certainly go up,” said Dr Bankata said.

By Saturday evening, Dr Bankata confirmed four more deaths and cautioned that some more patients were still critical.

For some other patients, he said, the next 24-48 hours are going to be critical.