Three newborn babies died after a fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Amravati District Women’s Hospital in Maharashtra early Monday morning. The incident occurred at around 3:15 am, according to officials.
Preliminary information suggests that a ventilator in the outborn section of the NICU caught fire, triggering the blaze. However, authorities have not yet established the exact cause and a detailed investigation is underway.
36 Infants Rescued
At the time of the incident, around 39 infants were admitted across the hospital’s NICU sections. Of the nine babies in the affected section, three died while the remaining six were rescued.
Doctors, nurses and other hospital staff immediately began evacuating the infants. A total of 36 babies were safely rescued and shifted to other hospitals for continued treatment. Six infants were moved to a super-speciality hospital, while others were transferred to another referral facility.
High-Level Probe Ordered
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. He described the deaths as extremely tragic and announced ₹5 lakh financial assistance for the family of each deceased newborn.
The State health administration has been directed to investigate the incident and determine whether any lapses contributed to the tragedy. The Fire Department and the electrical wing of the Public Works Department have also been asked to examine the cause of the blaze.
Questions Over Hospital Safety
The incident has raised concerns over fire safety measures and maintenance of medical equipment in hospitals, particularly in critical-care units such as NICUs.
Opposition leaders have called for strict action against anyone found responsible and demanded comprehensive fire and electrical safety audits of hospitals across Maharashtra.
