Three Infants Dead After Fire Breaks Out in Neonatal Care Unit at Telangana Govt Hospital on Monday Night

Hyderabad: A fire broke out in the Special Neonatak Care Unit (SNCU) of the state-run Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad, Telangana, on Monday night, killing three infants and leaving others in critical condition, officials said. The blaze was triggered when an air-conditioner unit in the unit burst, reportedly due to an electrical short circuit, sending thick smoke through the ward around 11.40 pm and triggering panic among staff and families. Of the 27 infants being treated in the SNCU at the time, five-day-old infant died at the scene, while a nother baby died shortly after. The third child died on Tuesday morning. Hospital staff rushed to the unit and worked to break windowpanes and evacuate the infants as smoke filled the ward. The remaining 25 babies were shifted to nearby private hospitals for treatment, and fire tenders brought the blaze under control before it could spread to adjacent wards.

Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha said three infants were shifted to a private hospital in Adilabad and two others were moved to Nizamabad for further treatment. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed grief over the incident and ordered an inquiry into the incident.