Amravati, Tamsil Shahezad Khan : Three newborn babies lost their lives after a fire tore through a government hospital in Amravati, Maharashtra, in the early hours of Monday, forcing staff into a frantic race to evacuate dozens of critically ill infants.
The blaze broke out around 3:30 am on the third floor of Amravati District Women's Hospital, apparently triggered when a ventilator exploded. The unit affected was the Special Newborn Care Unit, which had 39 babies undergoing treatment at the time.
Three of the newborns did not survive, succumbing to severe burns and smoke inhalation before they could be moved to safety.
Race Against Time
Doctors and nursing staff on duty responded within minutes of the fire breaking out, rushing into the ward to begin pulling babies from their incubators and disconnecting medical equipment as smoke filled the room. Eyewitness accounts from hospital staff describe a chaotic scene as teams worked to clear the unit before the fire could spread further.
Six newborns in critical condition were rushed to a nearby super-speciality hospital for advanced care. Their condition has not yet been officially disclosed.
Hospital authorities and district officials are yet to release a detailed account of what caused the ventilator to explode or whether any safety lapses contributed to the tragedy. An investigation into the incident is expected to follow, given the scale of the loss.
This is a developing story, and further details are awaited from hospital and district administration officials.