A fire at a hospital in the city of Jaipur in India’s western state of Rajasthan has left at least six patients dead and five other critically injured, officials said on Monday.
The blaze broke out late on Sunday night in the trauma centre of Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, which is the largest state-run hospital in the city.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences in a statement on the X social media platform.
“The loss of lives due to a fire tragedy at a hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is deeply saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon,” he said.
How did the fire at the Jaipur SMS hospital start?
Hospital official Anurag Dhakad told the ANI news agency that the fire had erupted in the intensive care unit (ICU), “releasing toxic gases.”
According to reports in the Indian media, 11 patients were being treated in the ICU when the fire started.
Dhakad informed ANI that the majority of patients in the ICU were in a coma.
Thick smoke spread through the building, causing panic and chaos among patients and their relatives.
Probe ordered, relatives allege negligence
The police said that a forensic investigation will examine what caused the fire.
“At first glance, it appears to be a short circuit,” Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George said, adding that the final cause will only be determined after the probe.
He confirmed that the victims’ bodies had been moved to the mortuary and that post-mortems would be conducted soon.
Reports said that Rajasthan’s government has set up a panel to investigate the cause.
Meanwhile, family members of the patients have alleged negligence on part of the hospital staff.
They claimed that hospital staff ignored early smoke warnings and accused the authorities of withholding information about the patients’ condition amid the chaos, according to The Indian Express.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko
