Newborn Babies Injured After Cradle Warmer Catches Fire at Hospital in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal: A newborn baby died and two four-day-old infants suffered burn injuries after a cradle warmer caught fire early Saturday morning at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Chhindwara District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh.

The blaze erupted around 1.50 am, reportedly caused by an electrical short circuit in the heating coil of the cradle warmer — a device used to regulate body temperature in newborns, particularly those born premature or with low birth weight. Sparks from the faulty coil ignited the fire, which engulfed the warmer at a time when 33 newborns were admitted to the SNCU's In-Born Unit, with roughly 30 more housed in the Out-Born Unit.

Alert on-duty staff moved swiftly, pulling the burning warmer away from other infants within an estimated 30 to 45 seconds of spotting the fire. Despite the quick response, three newborns — including two girls — sustained burn injuries.

According to reports, all babies were relocated to Step-Down Units, while the three injured infants were stabilised over the following two hours before being transported to Jabalpur Medical College.

One of the three babies later died while under treatment at Jabalpur. However, an autopsy revealed the death was caused not by the burn injuries but by pre-existing congenital complications.

The remaining two injured infants, both four days old, were reported to be in stable condition. One is a low-birth-weight baby dealing with sepsis and respiratory distress, while the other has separate underlying health issues.

Authorities have ordered a detailed investigation to determine the precise cause of the fire, with the SNCU's overcrowding — which reportedly led to continuous use of cradle warmers — expected to be a key focus area.

Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar criticised the state's BJP government over the incident, alleging in a post on social media that hospitals were becoming unsafe for patients under the current administration. He called for an immediate fire-safety audit of all hospitals across the state and urged Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to take steps to ensure patient safety in government healthcare facilities.