A massive fire broke out in the Trauma ICU of Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur late on Sunday night, in which 6 patients died tragically and the condition of 5 patients is said to be critical.
जयपुर: SMS अस्पताल में लगी भीषण आग से ट्रॉमा ICU में 6 मरीजों की जलकर दर्दनाक मौत, कई झुलसे
A massive fire broke out late Sunday night in the trauma intensive care unit (ICU) of Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, resulting in the tragic death of six patients and the condition of five others. Immediately after the incident, panic gripped the hospital premises. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma himself arrived at the scene and took stock of the situation.
The entire ICU was engulfed in a matter of minutes.
Hospital in-charge Dr. Jagdish Modi told IANS that preliminary investigations suggest a short circuit as the cause of the fire. He said the fire spread so rapidly that it engulfed the entire ICU within one to two minutes. The fire also caused panic in other wards. Many patients were immediately evacuated and shifted to safer locations.
Six confirmed dead, two women among the deceased
Dr. Modi confirmed that six patients have died so far, including four men and two women. Treatment of severely burned patients is continuing in other wards. Dr. Modi confirmed that six patients have died so far, including four men and two women. Treatment of severely burned patients is continuing in other wards.
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph stated that the fire has now been brought under control, but the trauma ICU has been completely gutted. Firefighters faced considerable difficulty in extinguishing the fire. Hospital staff immediately assisted patients and evacuated them to other wards,” Joseph said. A firefighter stated that it took approximately one and a half to two hours to completely extinguish the fire and evacuate the patients. He added, “Visibility was zero due to smoke inside, which hampered rescue operations.
Hospital staff react in mixed reactions
An eyewitness claimed that after the fire broke out, there was chaos inside the hospital, and even some staff members ran away in fear. Meanwhile, the hospital liftman reported that some staff responded promptly to extinguish the fire, while others evacuated patients. He said, “By the time the fire became severe, all patients had been evacuated. The deaths were likely due to smoke inhalation.”
Family members express grief, complain of death during treatment
Narendra, who lost his mother in the incident, said that his mother was recovering and was scheduled to be shifted to a general ward in the afternoon. “The accident happened before the shift, and my mother died,” he said tearfully. Another man said that his sister-in-law had been hospitalized for two weeks. As soon as the fire broke out, his nephew rushed to rescue her, but her condition worsened due to the smoke. “I couldn’t save my sister-in-law, and now my nephew himself is struggling to breathe,” he said sadly.
Chief Minister orders high-level inquiry
Given the seriousness of the incident, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has ordered an immediate investigation. He has announced the formation of a high-level inquiry committee, headed by Iqbal Khan, Commissioner of the Medical Education Department.
The committee will investigate the following points:
Identifying the causes of the fire
Immediate response by hospital management
The state of the fire fighting system
Patient safety and evacuation procedures
Measures to prevent such accidents in the future
The committee has been directed to submit its report as soon as possible.
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