JAIPUR – A devastating fire at the trauma centre of the largest state-run hospital in Jaipur, the capital of India’s northwestern Rajasthan state, has killed at least six patients and injured five others. Officials stated on Monday that a short-circuit is the suspected cause of the blaze, which highlights recurring safety vulnerabilities in the country’s healthcare infrastructure.
The fire originated late on Sunday in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Sawai Man Singh Hospital (SMS). Hospital official Anurag Dhakad told the ANI news agency that the blaze released “toxic gases.” He confirmed that five patients remain in critical condition, while 13 patients were successfully evacuated from the two affected wards.
Rescue Operation and Equipment Damage
Fire brigade teams arrived within 20 minutes of the fire starting in the neurosurgery ICU, according to hospital superintendent Sushil Kumar Bhati. However, broadcaster NDTV reported that it took approximately two hours to bring the fire under control, during which most of the hospital equipment in the area was gutted.
Jaipur Police chief Biju George Joseph confirmed that a forensic investigation has been launched to determine the precise cause of the fire.
Investigation Ordered Amid Pattern of Disasters
The government of Rajasthan has established a panel to thoroughly investigate the incident. The panel will examine the hospital’s firefighting arrangements, the management’s emergency response, and recommend steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The tragic event follows a distressing pattern of hospital fires across India, often blamed on short circuits in electronic equipment due to poor maintenance or substandard infrastructure. The most recent major incidents include:
- The death of ten newborns from burns and suffocation in November at a neonatal intensive care unit in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
- The death of six newborns in a fire at a baby care hospital in New Delhi in May 2024.
The tragedy in Jaipur casts a renewed spotlight on the critical need for enforced safety standards within India’s public health facilities, which serve patients from across the vast desert state.
