Amravati, Aug 2026 : 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 during the early hours of Monday. Six other infants were rescued from the smoke-filled ward and shifted to a local Super Speciality Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.
According to police sources, the fire broke out at around 3.30 a.m. on the third floor of the hospital’s recently constructed building. Preliminary information suggested that an explosion in a ventilator may have triggered the blaze, which quickly filled the NICU with thick smoke.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be established, and authorities have launched an investigation to determine whether a technical fault, equipment malfunction or another factor was responsible for the tragedy.
Doctors, nurses and other hospital staff on duty rushed to rescue the infants soon after the fire was detected. Their prompt action helped evacuate several babies from the affected area. However, three infants reportedly suffocated due to the heavy smoke that spread rapidly inside the ward.
The third floor of the hospital houses three NICU wards with a total capacity of 39 beds, with 13 beds in each unit. The ward where the fire occurred reportedly had between nine and 12 high-risk and premature infants receiving critical care at the time of the incident.
The tragedy has triggered widespread concern and raised serious questions about fire safety and emergency preparedness at the hospital. The building was reportedly constructed recently and inaugurated about a year ago. However, reports that the automated fire suppression system did not activate during the emergency have prompted investigators to examine whether there were lapses in the maintenance or functioning of the facility’s safety infrastructure.
Authorities are also looking into the condition and maintenance history of the ventilator believed to have exploded. Investigators will examine whether the equipment was outdated, inadequately maintained or had developed a serious technical fault before the incident.
Questions have also been raised about the response of the local fire brigade after the alarm was raised. The probe is expected to examine the timeline of the emergency response, the deployment of fire personnel and the actions taken by hospital staff immediately after the blaze began.
Senior police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police, reached the hospital shortly after the incident to assess the situation and begin preliminary inquiries. Local authorities have announced a high-level investigation to identify any administrative or technical lapses and fix responsibility for the deaths.
Amravati District Guardian Minister and Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule expressed deep grief over the loss of the three infants and offered condolences to their families.
“I am deeply saddened by today’s tragic incident in Amravati. My heart goes out to the affected families,” the minister said. He paid tribute to the deceased newborns and prayed for strength for their parents to cope with the irreparable loss.
Bawankule said a comprehensive inquiry had been ordered into the incident. District administration officials have been directed to closely monitor the situation, ensure uninterrupted treatment for the surviving infants and provide all necessary assistance to the affected families.
Emergency measures remained in place at the hospital as authorities continued their investigation into one of the most tragic incidents to hit the medical facility in recent times.
