Three Newborns Die of Suffocation After RIMS Fire
Initial Reports Blame Faulty Air Conditioning Unit, Safety Lapses Under Probe
Adilabad: Three newborn girls died after a late-night fire filled the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad with thick smoke, triggering a desperate rescue operation involving hospital staff, parents and relatives.
The fire broke out at around 11.40 p.m. on Monday while 27 newborns were undergoing treatment in the unit. Preliminary reports indicate that an electrical fault involving an air-conditioning unit may have triggered the fire, but authorities have not yet established the exact cause.
The three infants, who were receiving neonatal care after birth, died after being exposed to smoke and toxic fumes. One infant died at RIMS, another died while undergoing treatment at the Government General Hospital in Nizamabad, and the third also succumbed following the incident. The families were from the Ichoda, Indravelli and Utnoor areas, according to health officials.
The SNCU was treating premature and medically vulnerable newborns, many of whom were in incubators. Thick smoke rapidly spread through the ward, making it difficult for parents and medical personnel to locate the babies and reach the incubators.
Parents and staff battle thick smoke
Witnesses described chaotic scenes inside the unit after sparks were noticed from an air-conditioning unit. As smoke rapidly filled the ward, staff and relatives attempted to evacuate the newborns.
With visibility severely reduced, some people reportedly broke glass panes to create openings and help the smoke escape and gain access to the babies. Parents and relatives carried newborns from incubators to safer locations as medical staff worked to evacuate as many infants as possible.
A relative identified as Vikram, from Kinwat in Maharashtra, said he entered the smoke-filled ward while his brother’s daughter was among the babies receiving treatment. He recalled seeing parents and relatives carrying infants out of the incubators during the rescue.
Peerkhan of Ichoda, whose daughter died, described the confusion and fear after smoke began filling the unit. He said he tried to help rescue other infants but was unable to save his own daughter.
A doctor identified as Dr Ifthekar reportedly fainted while attempting to rescue the babies, while a nurse was also affected by smoke inhalation. They were receiving treatment.
Fire officials said the blaze was brought under control in the early hours of Tuesday. Officials have said the rescued newborns were subsequently shifted to private hospitals and other units at RIMS for continued treatment.
Government orders probe and safety audits
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy ordered an inquiry into the incident. Health Minister C. Damodar Rajanarasimha visited RIMS and said an expert committee would examine the circumstances surrounding the fire, possible safety lapses and maintenance issues.
The government has also announced electrical, fire-safety and civil-structural audits at RIMS. The inquiry is expected to examine maintenance, monitoring, safety standards and other possible administrative or infrastructure failures.
Adilabad Collector Rajarshi Shah and Superintendent of Police Akhil Mahajan reached the hospital after receiving information about the fire and supervised the emergency response. Police have begun investigating the incident. A preliminary police case has been registered as an unnatural or suspicious death case, according to reports.
Questions over maintenance and earlier inspections
The tragedy has also renewed questions about the maintenance and safety of government hospitals in Telangana.
An earlier inspection exercise had reportedly been undertaken at government medical colleges and hospitals to examine fire safety, mechanical systems, infrastructure, equipment and other issues. The inspections were also intended to identify equipment requiring repairs or replacement.
The RIMS incident has now raised questions about whether identified deficiencies were adequately addressed and whether safety recommendations were implemented.
Reports have also highlighted broader infrastructure and maintenance concerns at RIMS Adilabad, including delays involving electrical repairs and other hospital equipment.
Doctors’ associations seek immediate safety measures
The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) has called for an immediate review of electrical and fire-safety systems in government hospitals.
Its demands include safer electrical infrastructure, regular safety audits, functioning SNCU and NICU facilities, adequate fire-safety systems and emergency exits, backup power, sufficient beds and adequate staffing.
The association has also sought regular inspection and maintenance of electrical, fire-safety and medical equipment, together with disaster-preparedness and emergency-response protocols for critical-care areas.
The Telangana Government Doctors Association (TGGDA) has separately raised concerns about funding for hospital maintenance. It said delays in releasing Aarogyasri funds to government hospitals were affecting maintenance of medical and biomedical equipment, electrical systems and fire-safety infrastructure.
The association has urged the government to release pending funds and provide dedicated resources for maintenance in SNCUs, NICUs, intensive-care units and operating theatres.
A tragedy that exposes the vulnerability of neonatal units
The incident has placed renewed focus on safety standards in neonatal and critical-care units, where premature and seriously ill babies cannot be evacuated independently during an emergency.
For families from northern Telangana and neighbouring Maharashtra who depend on RIMS Adilabad for specialised medical care, the incident has intensified concerns over the reliability of infrastructure at a major referral hospital.
The government inquiry is now expected to determine whether the fire resulted from an isolated equipment failure or whether maintenance, electrical safety, emergency preparedness or other systemic issues contributed to the deaths.
Until that investigation is completed, claims about specific negligence or the precise cause of the fire should be treated as allegations or preliminary findings rather than mopestablished facts.
Comments