2 infants killed as fire breaks out in newborn care unit in Telangana hospital

Two infants were killed after a fire broke out in the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) hospital in Telangana’s Adilabad on Tuesday.

Adilabad collector Rajarshi Shah said that the incident occurred post-midnight following a short circuit in an air-conditioning unit. “As per the preliminary information, the AC exploded before flames and thick smoke spread through the ward,” he said. Shah said the hospital staff responded immediately.

Shah said 27 newborns were undergoing treatment and 24 of them were affected. “Of them, one died on the spot, and another died while undergoing treatment. The remaining 22 children are being provided medical treatment.”

The fire caused panic among the attendants, who rushed out of the ward carrying their children. Hospital staff immediately switched off the power supply and shifted the babies to an adjoining ward.

Firefighters brought the flames under control. Several infants reportedly suffered health complications after being exposed to the smoke. Some were shifted to private hospitals in Adilabad, and others to Nizamabad.

Shah and police superintendent Akhil Mahajan rushed to RIMS and reviewed the situation. They sought details from hospital staff about the circumstances leading to the fire.

Police registered a case and launched an investigation. They were examining the electrical and fire-safety arrangements to determine how the short circuit occurred and whether any lapses contributed to the accident.

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy expressed anguish over the deaths of the two infants. He described the deaths as “extremely painful” and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families. Reddy directed officials to ensure that the infants undergoing treatment received the best possible medical care.

Reddy ordered an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the fire. He instructed the authorities to strengthen fire and other safety measures in all hospitals across the state.