India's second wave of COVID-19 topped 400,000 new daily cases for the first time on Saturday, as the country opened up its massive vaccination drive to all adults, although several states warned of acute shortages.

Authorities reported 401,993 new cases in the previous 24 hours, the highest ever daily count globally, after 10 consecutive days of more than 300,000 new daily cases.

Deaths from COVID-19 jumped by 3,523, taking the total toll in India to 211,853, according to federal health ministry data.

The world's biggest producer of COVID-19 vaccines has a limited number of shots available, worsening a surge in infections that has overwhelmed hospitals and morgues while families scramble for scarce medicines and oxygen.

India's West Bengal state was unable to start a vaccination drive for adults aged between 18 and 45 on Saturday due to shortage of shots. The state urged the federal government to provide more supplies, a senior state health official said, declining to be named as he was not authorised to speak with media.

The chief minister of the hard-hit state of Delhi implored people not to queue at vaccination centres, promising more vaccines would arrive "tomorrow or the day after".

India's eastern Odisha state said it had received a consignment of 150,000 shots but would only allow a few people to get shots due to lockdown restrictions preventing movement.

In Ahmedabad, the main commercial city in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat, hundreds of people were seen queuing.

"I took my first dose and I am appealing to all students to take the vaccine and be safe," said Raj Shah, a 27-year-old student in Ahmedabad.

COVID-19 patients unable to access medical care 

Desperate coronavirus patients, meanwhile, continued to arrive at hospitals despite a shortage of beds.

Gasping for air, 62-year-old Vijay Gupta was turned away by Holy Family hospital, a non-profit private facility in the south east of India's capital as all of its 385 beds being full.

Waiting outside the hospital his family and friends debated what to do try next.

"We have been roaming around since 6:00am looking for a bed," said Mr Gupta's friend Rajkumar Khandelwal. "Where shall we go?"

A fire in a hospital about 190 kilometres south of Ahmedabad killed 16 coronavirus patients and two staff, the latest in a series of deadly accidents at hospitals.

Mr Modi offered his condolences to the families of the victims on Twitter, hours after he posted pictures of himself praying at a Sikh temple in capital New Delhi.

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Reuters