1 week ago
Three Newborns Die After Fire at Amravati Hospital NICU
A fire started in a hospital room where premature and very sick newborn babies were being treated.
The hospital was the District Women’s Hospital in Amravati, Maharashtra.
It happened early on Monday morning, around 3:15 to 4 a.m.
Reports said a ventilator or another technical unit may have caused the fire, but investigators have not confirmed this.
Hospital workers quickly moved babies away from the flames and smoke.
Three newborns died, while many others were rescued.
Six babies were taken to a Super Speciality Hospital for more care.
Reports differed on whether the three babies died from burns, smoke inhalation or suffocation.
Officials are checking the equipment, fire-safety systems and staff response.
Three premature newborns died after a fire broke out in the NICU of Amravati District Women’s Hospital early Monday, August 24, 2026.
Reports placed the fire between about 3:15 a.m. and 4 a.m. on the hospital’s third floor.
Preliminary accounts variously cited a sparking or exploding ventilator, a thermal-unit fault, or a short circuit; the exact cause remains under investigation.
The NICU reportedly had 39 infants across three sections, while the affected room contained nine infants according to one account.
Staff evacuated infants, with six transferred to a Super Speciality Hospital; authorities ordered an inquiry into equipment, fire safety and the emergency response.
- Who
- Three premature newborns at Amravati District Women’s Hospital died; hospital staff evacuated other infants, and Maharashtra authorities ordered an inquiry.
- What
- A fire in one room of the hospital’s NICU killed three newborns and led to the evacuation and transfer of other infants.
- Where
- The third-floor NICU or Special Newborn Care Unit at District Women’s Hospital in Amravati, Maharashtra.
- When
- Early Monday, August 24, 2026, with reports placing the fire’s start between approximately 3:15 a.m. and 4 a.m.
- Why
- The preliminary cause is disputed, with reports citing a ventilator spark or explosion, a thermal-unit technical fault, or a short circuit; authorities are investigating.
Preliminary Equipment Accounts
Unresolved Safety Questions
What started the fire?
Preliminary Equipment Accounts
Several reports and officials linked the blaze to a ventilator that sparked or allegedly exploded; another police account cited a technical fault in a thermal unit.
Unresolved Safety Questions
Other reports mentioned a possible short circuit, and officials said the definitive cause had not been established.
Hospital response
Preliminary Equipment Accounts
Doctors, nurses and other staff quickly evacuated infants, and reports credited them with rescuing many babies.
Unresolved Safety Questions
The incident prompted scrutiny of the automated fire-suppression system, equipment maintenance, fire-safety compliance, duty-staff procedures and fire-brigade response.
Cause of deaths
Preliminary Equipment Accounts
Some reports attributed the deaths to severe burns, while others cited smoke inhalation or suffocation.
Unresolved Safety Questions
The available reports did not provide one consistently confirmed explanation, leaving the inquiry to establish the circumstances of the deaths.
Key facts
- Deaths
- Three premature newborns died.
- NICU population
- Reports said 39 infants were admitted across three NICU sections.
- Affected room
- One account said nine infants were in the room where the fire began; other reports estimated nine to 12.
- Rescue and transfers
- Reports said 36 infants were rescued, while six were transferred to a Super Speciality Hospital for further treatment.
- Fire timing
- Accounts placed the fire’s start at approximately 3:15 a.m., 3:30 a.m. or 4 a.m.
- Possible cause
- Reports variously cited a sparking or exploding ventilator, a thermal-unit fault and a short circuit.
- Inquiry
- Authorities are examining the equipment, fire-safety arrangements, suppression systems, staff procedures and fire-brigade response.
Quotes
Chandrashekhar Bawankule
Maharashtra revenue minister and Amravati’s guardian minister
“We will conduct a further investigation to ascertain why the fire broke out and whether all the required fire-safety norms were being followed at the government hospital. The technical equipment involved in the incident, as well as the fire-safety arrangements at the hospital, are likely to be examined as part of the probe.”
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indianexpress.com
“There were 30 other children there, making a total of 33. Three babies were affected and the remaining 30 were immediately shifted to safety by our staff, including nurses and guards, who acted promptly and saved their lives.”
deccanchronicle.com
freepressjournal.in
An unidentified hospital official
An official quoted in reports about the Amravati hospital fire
“There was a technical fault in the thermal unit, following which the fire broke out. The attendants immediately took out the nine babies from the room, of whom three died.”
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Sources
Amravati: Fire Erupts in NICU, Three Newborns Die
Amravati NICU Fire Tragedy: 3 Newborns Killed After Ventilator Blast, 6 Others Shifted To Super Speciality Hospital | Video
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