Amravati, Aug 24 (IANS) A devastating fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the District Women’s Hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati during the early hours of Monday. Three infants suffocated to death due to heavy smoke, while six others are currently undergoing treatment at a local Super Speciality Hospital.
Police sources said that the incident occurred at around 3:30 a.m. on the third floor of the hospital’s recently constructed building.
According to preliminary reports, an explosion in a ventilator sparked the blaze, which quickly engulfed the unit. The ventilator explosion led to the rapid spread of fire and smoke inside the ward. The exact cause of the blaze remains unknown, and authorities are investigating the site to determine what triggered the fire.
Duty doctors, nurses, and hospital staff managed to rescue several infants from the unit as soon as the fire was detected. The third floor houses three NICU wards with a combined capacity of 39 beds (13 in each). The unit where the fire broke out reportedly had 9 to 12 high-risk, premature infants under critical care at the time.
The tragic event has sparked intense outrage and raised severe questions regarding the emergency preparedness of the medical facility. Despite the building being newly constructed — inaugurated just a year ago by the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar — the automated fire suppression system reportedly failed to activate. Authorities are investigating whether the ventilator that exploded was outdated, poorly maintained, or suffered from a critical technical failure.
Questions have been directed at local municipal bodies regarding the response time of the fire brigade once the alarm was raised. Investigators are looking into the exact positioning and response of the assigned duty staff when the blast occurred.
Senior police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), reached the site shortly after the incident to assess the situation and initiate a probe. Local authorities have announced a formal high-level inquiry to fix accountability for the administrative lapses that led to this tragedy.
Expressing deep anguish over the loss, the Amravati District Guardian Minister and Revenue Minister Chandrashekar Bawankule offered heartfelt condolences to the grieving families and pledged full government support during this crisis.
“I am deeply saddened by today’s tragic incident in Amravati. My heart goes out to the affected families,” said the Guardian Minister. “I pay my solemn tributes to the departed newborns and pray that God gives their parents the strength to bear this irreparable loss.”
The Minister confirmed that a comprehensive inquiry into the incident has been ordered. District administration officials have been instructed to closely monitor the situation, ensure uninterrupted medical care for the injured infants, and extend all necessary aid to the victims’ families. Emergency measures remain active at the site.
–IANS
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