Three infants died after a fire broke out at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Telangana’s Adilabad district late on Monday night.
The incident occurred at around 11.40 p.m. on September 21, when the fire broke out in the newborn care unit. Twenty-five other infants undergoing treatment in the ward were rescued and evacuated safely following the incident.
According to Adilabad District Medical and Health Officer Sadhana, the fire started after an air conditioner in the reception area of the SNCU caught fire. Officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and the sequence of events that led to the deaths.
The incident has prompted the Telangana government to order an inquiry into the hospital fire. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed officials to investigate the incident and submit a report identifying the cause of the fire.
The Special Newborn Care Unit provides medical care to newborn babies requiring specialised treatment and monitoring, making fire safety and emergency evacuation particularly critical in such facilities.
Following the incident, attention is expected to focus on the hospital’s fire safety arrangements, emergency response procedures and the circumstances that allowed the fire to spread within the unit.
The deaths have raised concerns over safety measures in critical-care hospital wards, particularly units where patients are unable to evacuate independently. The government inquiry is expected to establish the exact cause of the fire and examine whether safety protocols were followed.
Officials are continuing to assess the incident and its aftermath, while the rescued infants remain under medical care.