Key Points
- Eight critically ill patients died after a massive fire engulfed the Trauma Centre ICU at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur late Sunday night around 11:20 pm
- A suspected short circuit in the Neuro ICU storage area triggered the blaze, releasing toxic gases that rapidly spread across the second floor
- The deceased include Pintu (Sikar), Dilip (Andhi, Jaipur), Shrinath, Rukmini, Khurma (all from Bharatpur), and Bahadur (Sanganer, Jaipur), among others
- Five other patients remain in critical condition, while 14 patients from the adjacent semi-ICU were successfully evacuated to safer locations
- Families of victims have alleged hospital staff negligence, claiming they ignored early smoke warnings and fled during the incident
- Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has ordered a high-level investigation led by Iqbal Khan, Commissioner of Medical Education Department
- Firefighters took approximately two hours to bring the blaze under control after breaking windows to access the smoke-filled ward
Jaipur: A catastrophic fire broke out late Sunday night at 11:20 pm in the Intensive Care Unit of the Trauma Center at Sawai Man Singh Hospital, Rajasthan’s largest government medical facility, claiming eight lives and leaving several others fighting for survival. The inferno, which originated in the storeroom of the Neuro ICU ward on the second floor, rapidly engulfed critical medical equipment, documents, ICU supplies, and blood sampler tubes stored in the area.
At the time of the incident, 24 patients were undergoing treatment across two ICUs on the second floor 11 in the trauma ICU and 13 in the semi-ICU ward. The fire created absolute chaos as thick smoke rapidly filled the entire floor, causing panic among patients’ families and hospital staff.
Short Circuit Suspected as Primary Cause
Dr. Anurag Dhakad, in-charge of the Trauma Center at SMS Hospital, stated that preliminary investigations point toward a short circuit as the likely cause of the devastating fire. The electrical malfunction triggered a chain reaction that released highly toxic gases from burning electrical components and medical supplies, creating life-threatening conditions for critically ill patients.
Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph confirmed that forensic science laboratory (FSL) teams have been deployed to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause. He emphasized that while initial observations suggest a short circuit, the final determination would only be made after comprehensive forensic analysis is completed.
Critical Patients Succumb to Toxic Fumes
Most patients in the trauma ICU were in comatose states or required constant life support systems, making evacuation extremely challenging. Dr. Dhakad explained that the toxic gases released during the electrical burns significantly worsened the patients’ conditions, as their survival reflexes were already weakened due to their critical medical states.
The trauma center team, including nursing officers and ward boys, immediately attempted to rescue patients by transporting them on trolleys and even with their hospital beds to safer locations. Despite heroic efforts and prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) attempts, medical staff could not save eight critically ill patients, including three women and five men.
Families Allege Staff Negligence and Delayed Response
In the aftermath of the tragedy, families of the deceased have raised serious allegations against hospital staff, claiming they ignored early warnings about smoke and fled the scene when the fire intensified. Attendants told visiting government ministers that they noticed smoke and immediately alerted staff members, but their concerns were reportedly not addressed promptly.
Narendra Singh, who lost his mother in the fire, expressed his anguish stating he was having dinner downstairs when the incident occurred and was not informed about the emergency. He claimed there was inadequate firefighting equipment available, including no fire extinguishers, cylinders, or even sufficient water to douse the flames.
Ward boy Vikas, who was present during the incident, told PTI that he and other staff members rescued as many patients as possible before the flames intensified to dangerous levels. He stated they managed to save three to four patients from the operating theatre area, but as the fire grew more intense, they could no longer enter the building safely.
Heroic Rescue Operations and Firefighting Challenges
Emergency Officer Dr. Jagdish Modi described how the entire ICU was plunged into darkness as the fire spread. Doctors, nurses, and support staff worked frantically to evacuate all patients from the affected areas, implementing special monitoring protocols across the hospital.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, they encountered a ward completely engulfed in thick smoke, which blocked all conventional access points. The fire brigade had to break windows on the opposite side of the building to create ventilation and access routes for extinguishing the blaze. It took approximately two hours of intensive firefighting efforts to bring the situation under control.
High-Level Investigation Ordered by Chief Minister
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, accompanied by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham, visited the trauma center to assess the situation and speak with doctors, patients, and affected families. On Monday morning, the Chief Minister ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The investigation committee, chaired by Iqbal Khan, Commissioner of Medical Education Department, has been tasked with examining multiple critical aspects of the tragedy. The committee’s mandate includes investigating the root causes of the fire, evaluating the hospital management’s emergency response, assessing firefighting arrangements at the trauma center, reviewing patient safety and evacuation procedures, and recommending preventive measures to protect the hospital from such incidents in the future.
Questions Raised About Hospital Safety Standards
This devastating incident has raised serious questions about safety protocols and fire prevention measures at one of Rajasthan’s premier government healthcare facilities. At the time of the accident, the hospital had 210 patients admitted across various wards, with approximately 40 patients in each of the four ICU units.
Critically, families have alleged that only one staff member was assigned to each ICU during the night shift, which may have contributed to inadequate emergency response when the fire broke out. The storage of highly flammable materials including paper documents, ICU equipment, and medical supplies in areas with electrical infrastructure has also come under scrutiny.
The bodies of the deceased have been transferred to the mortuary, and post-mortem examinations will be conducted following completion of all necessary legal and administrative procedures. The incident has sparked widespread concern about hospital safety standards and emergency preparedness across government medical facilities in Rajasthan.
