Three newborn infants died after a devastating fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the District Women’s Hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati early on Monday. The fire reportedly erupted at around 3:15 am in a section of the NICU where premature, low-weight and critically ill newborns were undergoing treatment. The incident created panic inside the hospital as smoke quickly spread through the facility.
Hospital staff, firefighters and emergency personnel launched an immediate rescue operation and managed to evacuate 36 other infants from the smoke-filled NICU. The rescued newborns were shifted to safer areas and are receiving medical attention. Authorities are assessing the condition of the infants while also examining the extent of damage caused to the hospital unit.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed deep grief over the tragedy, describing the incident as heartbreaking. The state government has ordered a high-level inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire and identify any possible administrative or safety lapses. The investigation will also examine whether proper fire safety measures and emergency protocols were in place at the hospital at the time of the incident.
