Hyderabad: Three infants died in a fire that broke out at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad late Monday night (September 21).
As many as 27 newborns were undergoing treatment in the unit. Some children were shifted to nearby private hospitals.
“Twenty infants are still admitted in different hospitals while four others were taken to their homes by their parents after their condition became stable,” a senior police official said.
The health condition of all the children is being monitored continuously, they said.
According to reports, an AC unit in the newborn care ward reportedly exploded following a suspected short circuit, filling the ward with thick smoke. Parents and hospital staff broke the glass windows of the ward to evacuate the infants.
The incident occurred around midnight, prompting hospital staff to immediately switch off the power supply and move the infants to an adjacent ward. Fire department personnel also reached the spot and carried out rescue operations.
Telangana CM expresses grief, orders enquiry
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed deep grief over the deaths and directed the authorities to conduct an inquiry into the incident. He also conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased infants.
Adilabad Collector Rajarshi Shah and former MLA Jogu Ramanna visited RIMS and inspected the situation following the incident.
Authorities are ascertaining the exact cause of the fire, including whether an electrical fault or AC malfunction led to the incident. The safety arrangements at the SNCU are also being examined.
The tragedy has raised serious concerns over fire and electrical safety measures in hospitals.
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