A devastating fire broke out at the Special Newborn Care Unit of the District Women’s Hospital in Amravati, Maharashtra, claiming the lives of three newborns and leaving many others in critical condition. The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday when a ventilator exploded and caught fire on the third floor of the unit. According to police, the blaze was brought under control within 10 to 15 minutes, and 36 newborns were rescued from the affected area.
At the time of the incident, 39 newborns were admitted to the SNCU, which provides specialized treatment to premature and low-birth-weight babies. Doctors, nurses, and hospital staff rushed to the ward and began evacuating the babies, disconnecting medical equipment and shifting them to safety as rescue operations got underway. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his condolences over the incident, calling it “heart-breaking” and ordering a high-level probe.
He announced ex gratia financial assistance of ₹5 lakh to the family of each deceased infant. Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, who rushed to Amravati, flagged “grave” irregularities at the fire-hit hospital and said a seven-member panel would probe the blaze and submit its report within eight days. Eyewitnesses reported that the ward’s fire alarms failed, and the automatic water sprinkler system did not activate even as smoke filled the ward.
A nurse who was on duty described the scene as “terrible,” saying that the babies were burning next to the ventilator and were rescued and shifted to safety. Yogesh Savarkar, whose eight-day-old child was admitted on the first floor, said he rescued his child on his own and could see black ashes on the other children in the hospital.
