2 newborns die after fire breaks out at Telangana hospital

Hyderabad: Two newborns died after a fire broke out at the Special Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU) of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Telangana’s Adilabad town late on Monday night.

The fire broke out around midnight in the neonatal unit of the district headquarters hospital. Emergency teams responded swiftly and evacuated 25 children. Some of them fell ill due to smoke inhalation and were shifted to private hospitals, with four reportedly in critical condition.

A fire tender rushed to the hospital and brought the blaze under control. A preliminary investigation by authorities indicated that the fire may have broken out following a blast in an air conditioner.

Adilabad District Collector Rajarshi Shah and Superintendent of Police Akhil Mahajan rushed to the hospital and supervised the rescue and relief operations.

The AC blast triggered panic among patients and their attendants at the district headquarters hospital. The hospital superintendent and staff, along with ambulance drivers and local residents, rushed to the neonatal ward and broke open the windows to rescue the newborns.

The entire ward was filled with smoke, causing complications among several newborns.

According to the District Collector, two newborns who were on ventilators died in the incident. He said the condition of the other children was stable.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed anguish over the fire at the SNCU ward of RIMS Hospital and described the deaths of the two infants as deeply distressing. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to their families.

The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure the best possible medical care for the infants undergoing treatment and to continuously monitor their health. He also ordered an inquiry into the cause of the fire and directed officials to submit a report.

Revanth Reddy further instructed authorities to strengthen safety measures across all hospitals to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K. T. Rama Rao also expressed shock over the incident. In a post on X, he said he was shocked and anguished to learn about the fire at the Special Newborn Care Unit at RIMS Adilabad. He said one infant had died and more than 20 children had suffered in the accident, and offered prayers for the well-being of all the children.

With IANS inputs