Amravati: Three newborn babies died after a fire broke out at the government-run District Women’s Hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati in the early hours of Monday, triggering an emergency evacuation at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU).
According to initial reports, the fire erupted at around 3:30 am on the third floor after a ventilator reportedly exploded. At the time of the incident, 39 newborns were undergoing treatment in the SNCU.
The three infants reportedly died after suffering severe burns and smoke inhalation. Hospital staff, including doctors and nurses, rushed to the ward and began evacuating the newborns as emergency rescue operations continued.
Medical equipment was disconnected, and the infants were moved away from the affected area. Six critically affected newborns were shifted to a nearby Super Speciality Hospital for further treatment.
Senior police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police, reached the hospital shortly after the incident. Authorities have ordered a high-level inquiry to determine the cause of the fire and examine possible administrative and fire-safety lapses.
Maharashtra Revenue Minister and Amravati District Guardian Minister Chandrashekar Bawankule expressed grief over the deaths and assured all possible government support to the affected families.
Former minister and Congress leader Yashomati Thakur described the incident as “very shocking” and alleged that deficiencies in the hospital’s firefighting arrangements may have contributed to the fire spreading.
The exact cause of the blaze and the sequence of events leading to the deaths are expected to be clarified following the official investigation.
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