Amravati, Aug 24: Three newborns died after a fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the District Women’s Hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati early Monday morning.

The fire broke out around 3:30 am on the third floor of the hospital, reportedly following a suspected explosion in a ventilator. Around 39 newborns were present in the NICU at the time.

The fire occurred in the outborn section of the NICU, where nine newborns were being treated. Hospital staff managed to rescue six babies from the affected section, and they were later shifted to a super-specialty hospital for further treatment. However, three newborns died in the incident.

According to nurses on duty, the ventilator suddenly exploded, filling the ward with smoke. The situation became more critical as oxygen cylinders inside the room reportedly intensified the fire. Despite the heavy smoke and flames, the nurses attempted to evacuate the babies.

Hospital officials said medical and emergency teams rushed to the spot after being alerted. Dr Vinod Pawar of the District Women’s Hospital said the fire was so intense that staff could not immediately enter the affected ward. A window was broken to allow the smoke to escape, while efforts were made to control the flames using a fire hose.

Government Orders High-Level Probe

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the deaths and announced a high-level inquiry into the incident. He also directed the state health minister and health department secretary to visit Amravati.

The state government has announced financial assistance of ₹5 lakh each for the families of the deceased newborns. The Amravati District Collector has also been instructed to ensure that injured children receive treatment at government expense.

Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule also expressed condolences and said an inquiry had been ordered. He assured that the injured newborns would receive all necessary medical assistance.

Questions Over Fire Safety

The incident has also triggered questions over the hospital’s fire safety arrangements and the possible cause of the suspected ventilator explosion.

Congress leader and former Amravati guardian minister Yashomati Thakur criticised the state government and questioned whether there were equipment or electrical faults behind the fire. She also alleged that fire safety audits had not been conducted on time and that adequate safety norms were not in place.

Authorities are now expected to investigate the cause of the fire, the condition of the ventilator and electrical systems, as well as compliance with fire safety standards at the hospital.