Twenty-two COVID-19 patients on ventilators died in a hospital in western India on Wednesday when their oxygen supply was interrupted by a leak in a supply line, officials said.

Suraj Mandhar, the district collector, said the supply of oxygen had since resumed to other patients.

Fire officer Sanjay Bairagi said the leak was halted by the fire service within 15 minutes, but there was supply disruption in the Zakir Hussain Hospital in Nashik, a city in Maharashtra state that is the worst hit by the latest surge in coronavirus cases in the country.

READ MORE: Patient left gasping for air for 10 hours as Indian hospitals buckle

Television images showed white fumes spreading in the hospital area, causing panic.

Surinder Sonone, a police officer, said the leak occurred in a pipe connecting the oxygen supply to the main tank in the hospital complex.

Five of the 140 COVID-19 patients were shifted to another hospital, he said.

The state government ordered an investigation of the leak, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope said.

India has reported a new record 295,041 coronavirus cases, as the daily death toll crossed 2000 for the first time.

Even with hospitals struggling, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday advised state governments against imposing a harsh lockdown in favour of micro-containment zones as he sought to avoid another economic slump.

The surge in India has exacerbated the slowdown in global vaccination campaigns.

India is a major vaccine producer but has been forced to delay deliveries of shots to focus on its domestic demand.

So far, India has administered over 130 million doses of vaccines in a nation of nearly 1.4 billion since mid-January.

Overall, India has reported more than 15.6 million confirmed cases, the second-highest behind the United States.

The number of deaths stood at 182,553 on Wednesday.

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"The volume is humongous," said Jalil Parkar, a senior pulmonary consultant at the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai, which had to convert its lobby into an additional COVID ward.

"It's just like a tsunami."

"Things are out of control," said Ramanan Laxminarayan, director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy in New Delhi.

READ MORE: The world's biggest vaccine producer is running out during a deadly second wave

"There's no oxygen. A hospital bed is hard to find. It's impossible to get a test. You have to wait over a week. And pretty much every system that could break down in the healthcare system has broken down," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Tuesday, acknowledging the country's "very big battle" against COVID-19.

He appealed to states to "use a lockdown as their last option," even as the capital, New Delhi, entered its first full day of a week-long lockdown.

On Monday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal warned failing to halt movement in the city could lead to "tragedy."

"We don't want to take Delhi to a place where patients are lying in hospital corridors and people are dying on roads," Kejriwal said.

On Tuesday, he warned some Delhi hospitals were "left with just a few hours of oxygen," as authorities scrambled to convert sports complexes, banquet halls, hotels and schools into much-needed treatment centres, with the goal to add 6000 additional beds within days.

"Our healthcare system has reached its limit. It is now in a state of distress. It has not collapsed yet but it is in distress," Kejriwal said.

"Every healthcare system has its limits. No system can accommodate unlimited patients."

With shortages being reported across the country, local and state leaders appealed to the federal government for more oxygen and medicine.

Modi appeared to answer those calls on Tuesday, announcing plans for the delivery of 100,000 cylinders of oxygen nationwide, new oxygen production plants, and hospitals dedicated to COVID-19 patients.

But experts fear it's too little, too late, as positive patients compete for limited resources and mass gatherings threaten to spread the virus even further.

– Reported with CNN

The Australian government has shredded Victoria's controversial infrastructure agreement with China, earning the immediate ire of Beijing.

Two deals linked to China's Belt and Road Initiative were among four Victorian government agreements deemed to be "inconsistent with Australia's foreign policy or to our foreign relations", Foreign Minister Marise Payne said late on Wednesday.

The other two agreements ripped up in the first audit of major projects of its kind were with Iran and Syria, dating back as long as 22 years ago.

The move, amid already-heightened tensions with China, earned the immediate "strong displeasure and resolute opposition" of the Chinese embassy.

"This is another unreasonable and provocative move taken by the Australian side against China," a spokesperson said, in a statement.

"It further shows that the Australian government has no sincerity in improving China-Australia relations. 

"It is bound to bring further damage to bilateral relations, and will only end up hurting itself."

Victoria's involvement with the Belt and Road Initiative has come under increasing scrutiny given Australia's tensions with China in recent months.

Premier Daniel Andrews has defended his state's agreement with China to support the $1.5 trillion plan from 2018.

The veto scheme giving the Foreign Minister the power to audit deals with foreign nations was introduced in December.

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More than 1000 arrangements between states, territories, local governments and Australian public universities have already been submitted to the minister for consideration.

"The more than 1000 notified so far reflect the richness and breadth of Australia's international interests and demonstrate the important role played by Australia's states, territories, universities and local governments in advancing Australia's interests abroad," Ms Payne said.

Ms Payne said she would continue to consider submissions made under the scheme and "expect the overwhelming majority of them to remain unaffected".

As part of the first-ever audit, Ms Payne said she had approved a proposed memorandum of understanding on cooperation on human resources development in energy and mineral resources sector between the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation of the Government of Western Australia and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia.

The four arrangements are:

– Memorandum of understanding between the Department of Education and Training (Victoria) and the Technical and Vocational Training Organisation, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the Islamic Republic of Iran, signed 25 November 2004.

– Protocol of scientific cooperation between the Ministry of Higher Education in the Syrian Arab Republic and the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Training of Victoria, signed 31 March 1999.

– Memorandum of understanding between the government of Victoria and the National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China on cooperation within the framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, signed 8 October 2018.

– Framework agreement between the government of Victoria and the National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China on jointly promoting the framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, signed on 23 October 2019.

The Justice Department is opening a sweeping investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis after a former officer was convicted in the killing of George Floyd there, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday.

The announcement comes a day after former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death last May, setting off a wave of relief but also sadness across the country. The Black man's death prompted months of mass protests against policing in the US.

The Justice Department is already investigating whether Chauvin and the other officers involved in Floyd's death violated his civil rights.

READ MORE: Biden to Floyd family after verdict: 'We're all so relieved'

"Yesterday's verdict in the state criminal trial does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis," Garland said.

The investigation announced Wednesday is known as a "pattern or practice" — examining whether there is a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing — and will be a more sweeping probe of the entire police department and may result in major changes to policing there

It will examine practices used by police, including use of force and force used during protests, and whether the department engages in discriminatory practices. It will also look into the department's handling of misconduct allegations and its treatment of people with behavioral health issues and will assess the department's current systems of accountability, Garland said.

It's unclear whether the years under investigation will begin when Floyd died or before.

READ MORE: The 12 jurors who found Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd

Floyd, 46, was arrested on suspicion of passing a counterfeit $20 bill for a pack of cigarettes at a corner market. He panicked, pleaded that he was claustrophobic and struggled with police when they tried to put him in a squad car. They put him on the ground instead.

The centrepiece of the case was bystander video of Floyd, handcuffed behind his back, gasping repeatedly, "I can't breathe," and onlookers yelling at Chauvin to stop as the officer pressed his knee on or close to Floyd's neck for what authorities say was about 9 1/2 minutes, including several minutes after Floyd's breathing had stopped and he had no pulse.

Floyd's death May 25 became a flashpoint in the national conversation about the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement and sparked worldwide protests.

At trial, Chauvin's defence attorney persistently suggested Chauvin's knee wasn't on Floyd's neck for as long as prosecutors argued, suggesting instead it was across Floyd's back, shoulder blades and arm.

The decision to announce a sweeping Justice Department investigation comes as President Joe Biden has promised his administration would not rest following the jury's verdict in the case. In a Tuesday evening speech, he said much more needed to be done.

"'I can't breathe.' Those were George Floyd's last words," Biden said. "We can't let those words die with him. We have to keep hearing those words. We must not turn away. We can't turn away."

READ MORE: Family can 'breathe again' as Derek Chauvin found guilty

The Justice Department had previously considered opening a pattern or practice investigation into the police department soon after Floyd's death, but then-Attorney General Bill Barr was hesitant to do so at the time, fearing that it could cause further divisions in law enforcement amid widespread protests and civil unrest, three people familiar with the matter told the AP.

A man and a baby girl have died after falling from the wall of an old dam near South Australia's Barossa Valley.

South Australia police have confirmed the deaths at the Whispering Wall in Williamstown, 50 kilometres north-east of Adelaide.

Emergency services were called at 4.30pm with a MedStar medical helicopter was also sent to the scene.

South Australia Police said they were investigating what happened.

"Police and emergency services were called to the Whispering Wall after witnesses reported seeing a man and infant go over the edge of the wall and fall to the ground," they said in a statement.

"When patrols arrived, they found a deceased man and an infant who was unresponsive.

"Paramedics worked on the infant but sadly, she died at the scene.

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"Detectives from Barossa CIB and Major Crime Branch, along with forensic crime scene investigators, have attended the scene to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

"At this stage, no one else is being sought over the deaths.

"Police will be preparing a report for the State Coroner."

The Whispering Wall is 35 metres high and is the retaining wall of the Barossa Reservoir, according to its website.

"Built between 1899 and 1903, the dam was a revolutionary engineering feat for its day and attracted attention from all over the world, even making its way into the pages of the journal Scientific American," it says.

"But what draws visitors to the Whispering Wall is its unique acoustic effects: words whispered at one side can be clearly heard at the other, more than 100 metres away."

Coronavirus vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna could be produced in Australia for the first time as the Victorian Government invests $50 million into the domestic manufacturing of mRNA vaccine technology.

The state government will work closely with the Commonwealth and world-leading experts to develop the first mRNA manufacturing facility in the Southern Hemisphere, which would be based in Melbourne.

In a statement, the government said mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer and Moderna, were a "promising alternative" to traditional vaccines because of their high efficacy, capacity for rapid development, low-cost manufacture and safe administration.

LIVE UPDATES: Vaccinated man in Brisbane hospital over blood clot concerns

Growing evidence also suggests Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are manufactured in Europe and the United States, will be easier to re-engineer to cover new viral variants than conventional inoculations such as AstraZeneca.

Australia is currently only capable of manufacturing AstraZeneca, with the country's CSL facility set to make more than 50 million doses.

"This is a very significant announcement, not just for Victoria but for Australia," Acting Victoria Premier James Merlino said.

The development of the mRNA manufacturing capability would provide vaccine security, ensuring vials can be made locally to avoid global supply chain issues.

Other forms of RNA nanomedicines and mRNA can also be used in the treatment of cancer, rare diseases, cellular engineering and protein-replacement therapy.

Mr Merlino said it would take at least 12 months for any of the vaccines to be manufactured.

READ MORE: Under-50s cancelling COVID-19 vaccine appointments

"It's vital that we can develop and manufacture mRNA vaccines and treatments locally to ensure we have vaccine security here in Australia and across our region," he said.

Monash University researcher Professor Colin Pouton said mRNA vaccination was the best way to quickly respond to emerging viruses.

"We are very keen to push ahead with the second generation COVID-19 vaccine we are working on, and looking to the future, we're collaborating with a number of researchers who are interested in how the mRNA platform could be used for other medical applications," Professor Pouton said.

It comes as Victoria's mass vaccination sites opened their doors today to make COVID-19 jabs more accessible.

READ MORE: Australians over 50 to be given access to COVID vaccine

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Eligible Victorians under phase 1a and 1b of the rollout can visit one of the four vaccination hubs at the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and the old Ford Factory in Geelong.

People aged over 70, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 55 and adults with underlying medical conditions are eligible to get the AstraZeneca jab.

Adults aged under 50 who are eligible will also be given the option of receiving AstraZeneca after the two-week pause due to blood clot concerns lifted today.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said he was "delighted" to get the AstraZeneca vaccine today and "couldn't be happier".

READ MORE: Man in Brisbane hospital with blood clots after Pfizer vaccine

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"Caring, professional and efficient approach of everyone at the Royal Exhibition Buildings, especially the ⁦St Vincent's staff," he wrote on Twitter.

COVID-10 vaccinations will still be offered at GP clinics.

People who want to get their vaccine at one of the mass sites can make an appointment over the phone or walk-in if they are willing to wait.

The heartbroken families of the four Victoria Police officers killed in the Eastern Freeway crash have expressed their grief over the tragedy one year on.

Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Glen Humphris and Constable Josh Prestney all died in the deadliest incident in the force's history on April 22 last year.

The officers had pulled over Porsche driver Richard Pusey in the emergency lane of the freeway for allegedly speeding, when truck driver Mohinder Singh ploughed into them near Kew.

Ahead of the one-year anniversary tomorrow, the Prestney family said the pain of losing their loved one had not subsided over the past year.

The family said it still recalled the horrors of the night.

"The night we lost Josh our world fell apart," the officer's parents Andrew and Belinda Prestney said.

"It has now been one year, but the memory of how that night unfolded is as clear and as painful as if it happened yesterday.

"As hard it was to lose Josh, harder still has been learning to live without him.

"We will never get used to this, get over this or move on from this.

"If we are lucky, time may soften the edges of our grief, but the loss of our son and brother has left scars that will never completely heal."

Constable Prestney's parents described how the sound of his guitars had "fallen silent" in their family home, and how they grappled with his loss every day.

"The music he loved is no longer pumped around the house and there is no more witty banter across the dinner table or cheering at the footy," they said.

"We all miss him so very much.

"Josh's story was not finished, there was still so much more to do."

The 28-year-old was a triathlon enthusiast and a passionate Collingwood supporter.

It was only his second day on the job at Boroondara Police Station when the freeway tragedy occurred.

"Our son was generous, loving, discerning and honest, with a deep love of family and for his partner Stacey," his parents said.

"He was eager to excel in his new career with Victoria Police and we would like to acknowledge the members he trained with and worked with, who are struggling with his loss."

The Prestneys said they were "comforted" by the love and support they have received from family, friends, colleagues and strangers.

"Josh, your life was a blessing. Your memory a treasure. You are loved beyond words. And missed beyond measure."

Todd Robinson, the partner of Constable Humphris, said his worst fear came true when he received the dreaded knock on the door that the officer had died.

"Today marks 12 months since I wished Glen a great day and hugged him goodbye as I left for work, not knowing that would be the last time we would ever see each other," Mr Robinson said in his tribute.

"Each and every day, police officers put their lives on the line for our community, and it is the worst fear of every partner and family member to receive that knock on the door.

"This was one of the most gut-wrenching experiences of my life."

Constable Humphris was completing his Probationary Constable Extended Training Scheme (PCET) at Collingwood Police Station and undertaking a placement in the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section.

He was born and raised in Gosford on the NSW Central Coast.

Mr Robinson said he would forever remember his partner as the "smiling, bubbly and beautiful man that he was" and for the love they shared.

"He touched many people in his life, and many people cared for him," he said.

"I want these stories and memories of joy and optimism to be forever remembered."

Melbourne landmarks will again turn blue tomorrow night to mark the first anniversary of the Eastern Freeway crash that claimed the lives of the four police officers.

Acting Premier James Merlino confirmed the Bolte Bridge, Parliament House and other government buildings across Melbourne CBD would be bathed in blue.

"A number of buildings have been identified that will light up in blue to honour those four police officers, their families and Victoria Police across the board," he said.

Singh, the truck driver responsible for the deaths of the officers, was last week jailed for 22 years in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Kiwi workplaces are still feeling the impact of Covid-19 and a year out from the pandemic an in-depth study has revealed what’s coming next.Hybrid work – that’s a workforce with a mix of remote and office workers – is here to stay…

New questions and concerns have been raised about the death of a Queensland grandmother after three ambulances got lost on the way to her house, despite living five minutes from hospital.

Talking exclusively to 9News, Stephen Couder has told his story of heartbreak, forced to watch his wife Diane die in his arms all while living five minutes away from Logan Hospital.

The couple, originally from Emerald, moved to Logan so Diane, who had been suffering severe health issues, could be within five minutes away from a hospital.

READ MORE: Forensic report on allegedly murdered Gold Coast mum's injuries could take nine months

However, Stephen claims the move to the Edwards Street, Loganlea address was when they started encountering problems with getting an ambulance.

Experiencing renal failure and being prepared for dialysis, Diane would suffer from rapid fluid build-up around the heart, a condition that could be treated if she was seen to quickly.

"She had those episodes before. The ambos were here on time. They gave her things that caused that fluid to disperse," Stephen told 9News.

On December 15, Diane had difficulty breathing, prompting Stephen to call triple zero from the Edwards Street address, but the ambulance was sent to Elizabeth Court.

"When they did eventually get her to hospital … she was very near death," Stephen said.

After time in hospital, Diane was discharged, but on January 2, she again needed an ambulance, which Stephen says got lost as well, prompting him to complain.

"When they took her to the hospital, I accompanied her in the ambulance in the front seat … I saw on their monitor the address they'd been sent to, and it wasn't this address," Stephen said.

On February 21, Diane again went downhill, with Stephen calling an ambulance – an ambulance that didn't arrive on time because it was sent to the wrong address.

"So, she ended up passing away in my arms right there, and I can't get that vision out of my head,"

Explaining the delays in a statement, Queensland Ambulance said there was no technical issue with the QAS IT system, suggesting the problem was a result of Council mapping – that saw ambulances directed to Elizabeth Court, formerly Edward Court.

"Maps are provided by the relevant local Council to all emergency services on a quarterly basis. The next quarterly update is due to be provided by Council in the next fortnight," the statement said.

"An Ambulance arrived within 30 minutes of the original call in all three instances,"

Stephen has spoken to a QAS investigator but is angry that he hasn't seen the report into his wife's treatment.

"I've heard nothing from anyone from anywhere. The health department, the ambulance department, anyone except that investigator," Stephen said.

A sentiment shared by Queensland's Liberal Opposition leader David Crisafulli, who voiced his own concerns about Stephen and Diane's story and the potential of it happening again.

"He deserves honest answers, and he deserves an honest commitment that something is going to be done about it – otherwise, more families are going to suffer the sort of heartbreak he has," Mr Crisafulli said.

Western Australian health authorities are investigating two new cases of COVID-19 acquired in hotel quarantine.

The state health department on Wednesday night confirmed the virus was transmitted in quarantine, saying the two sets of guests with the same strain arrived from different countries at different times.

The revelation followed NSW authorities' decision to launch an investigation into the potential spread, not yet confirmed, of the more infectious South African variant in Sydney hotel quarantine.

READ MORE: 'Too early' to say if Brisbane cop's blood clots caused by Pfizer vaccine

In Perth, recent guests from the same floor as the transmission will be re-tested and those who were in the immediately adjacent rooms will be self-quarantined for 14 days.

"The Department can confirm the virus was transmitted in hotel quarantine at the Mercure Hotel Perth, as two sets of guests, in rooms opposite each other, had the same sequence of virus – despite arriving from different countries at different times," the WA Health Department said in a statement.

"All other guests who previously stayed on the same (sixth) floor during this time and have been released from the hotel facility tested negative prior to release. 

"These guests will be re-tested and directed to self-isolate until cleared by the public health team."

The department noted hotel staff underwent daily testing and none had yet tested positive.

"While similar transmission in hotels in other jurisdictions has not resulted in community transmission, the community must always remain vigilant," it said.

"The threat of COVID-19 remains real.

"This is a timely reminder that if you are experiencing symptoms, please go and get a COVID test."

READ MORE: Melbourne suburbs on alert after COVID-19 fragments found

Also on Wednesday, NSW Health launched an investigation into how three returned travellers, two of whom are related and all of whom arrived on April 3 on the same flight, all tested positive to the South African strain of the virus.

The two family members were in connecting rooms on the hotel's 10th floor, while the third person was in an adjacent room.

They all tested negative for their day two swabs in quarantine but later tested positive on different days.

NSW Health is contacting returned travellers who were on the same floor of the hotel from April 7-12.

It could take nine months before pathologists are able to determine the full extent of allegedly murdered Gold Coast woman Kelly Wilkinson's injuries.

The young mother, 27, was found with burns to her body in the backyard of a home in Arundel yesterday morning.

Neighbours reported hearing screams and the sound of an explosion about 6.40am.

READ MORE: Man charged after young mother's burned body found in yard

Her estranged partner Brian Johnston, 34, has since been charged with her murder.

He remains in a serious condition after being found a few blocks away in a semi-conscious state, with burns to his body.

Mr Johnston's lawyer Chris Hannay today said his client was "in a pretty bad way".

"I've been told his injuries are fairly substantial in relation to burns," Mr Hannay said.

"I've been told he's at the Princess Alexandra Hospital."

Mr Hannay said he had met with Mr Johnston in the days before Ms Wilkinson's death.

He said Mr Johnston was "pretty coherent" and took "suitable instructions" about a "whole lot of things" in relation to domestic violence issues.

"Obviously no one expected this to happen," Mr Hannay said.

The matter won't be heard in court again until June 4, in the domestic violence court at Southport.

Neighbours told police they saw a man run from the scene injured and bloodied.

"He turned up in the bushes in the house next door to me – his left arm was heavily bandaged," one neighbour told 9News.

"(A passerby) saw the fella and asked you know, 'are you okay mate?' He made some remark like, 'I'm fine', but he had his head down."

A fundraiser launched to pay for Ms Wilkinson's funeral and the schooling of her three children has raised $65,000 in less than 24 hours.

Ms Wilkinson's death came less than two months after her mother died suddenly at age 55.

If you need help or support, contact the National Domestic Violence Service on 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you are in immediate danger call triple zero (000).