Amman, Jordan
Amman, JordaniStock

Approximately 10 patients at a Jordanian hospital's COVID-19 unit died after supplemental oxygen ran out, leading to the resignation of the country's minister of health.

State media is reporting that shortly after the scandal broke, King Abdullah II visited the hospital in an attempt to reassure families who had loved ones in the hospital. He also ordered the hospital's director to be placed on leave. Angry family members outside the hospital swelled to around 150 people who had to be restrained from entering the hospital by police.

The country's prime minister, Bisher al-Khasawneh, has opened an investigation into the deaths. They occurred at a hospital in Salt, located north of Amman.

Jordan's Al-Rai newspaper stated that the country's minister of health, Nathir Obeidat, has resigned his post in the wake of the deaths.

The country has had 465,000 COVID-19 cases with over 5,000 deaths. In February, tighter lockdown restrictions were put into place.