A newborn baby died on Wednesday night when fire broke out in the children’s ward of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad, Telangana, just after midnight in the children's ward in the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) hospital.
The fire spread across a part of the ward and smoke billowed out due to the children’s ward to some children who were being treated, causing the hospital staff and doctors and nurses to immediately start evacuating patients out of it and people in the hospital to leave.
The fire was probably caused by a short circuit in an air-conditioning unit, but the exact cause will only be found after an investigation is done, officials have said. The incident has reignited concerns about fire safety arrangements and electrical equipment maintenance at the government-run hospital.
According to Adilabad II Town police station SHO K. Nagaraju, a short circuit in the AC unit could have triggered the fire. But the officer added that investigators would determine the exact cause after examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The SHO said 23 children were in the ward at the time the fire broke out. He did not immediately confirm the reported death or the number of people who were injured, as the details were still being verified. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, a newborn’s death was reported and the baby’s body was sent for post-mortem examination as part of the investigation to better determine the cause of the death.
Children Evacuated From RIMS Ward
As smoke entered the children’s ward, hospital personnel and attendants moved patients to safety. The children were evacuated from the affected section and transferred to different private hospitals so their treatment could go on.
The fire brigade was notified and came to the RIMS premises shortly after the fire was reported. Firefighters brought the flames under control and prevented the situation from expanding to the rest of the hospital.
The remaining children in the ward were said to be safe after the evacuation. Hospital personnel and family members worked to move the patients out of the smoke-filled area.
The incident also led to senior district officials visiting the hospital. Adilabad District Collector Rajarshi Shah and District Superintendent of Police Akhil Mahajan arrived at RIMS after the fire. RIMS Director Jai Singh Rathore was also present at the hospital as officials assessed the situation.
The officials toured the area and sought information from hospital officials and staff about the fire situation, evacuation process, and condition of the patients who were moved from the ward.
Investigation Into Fire Underway
The investigators have launched an inquiry into the incident. Electrical problems or a malfunction in the air-conditioning equipment could be the cause of the blaze, and other possible causes are likely to be examined.
The exact cause of the fire is not yet known definitively. And the hospital's electrical infrastructure, fire-prevention systems, and emergency response arrangements are also to be investigated, officials said.
The incident has reignited debate about fire safety in hospitals, particularly in wards where children and newborns are treated. In such facilities, quick evacuation procedures are critical since many patients may not be able to leave independently and medical personnel and attendants may have no choice but to respond.
The authorities will also assess if the required safety protocols were in place and whether the hospital’s electrical and fire-safety systems were functioning properly at the time of the incident.
Officials Await Detailed Report
The immediate fire is now under control and children have been moved from the ward, but the details of the incident are still being verified. The details of any additional injuries and the circumstances surrounding the newborn’s death will be clearer once the investigation and post-mortem have taken place.
A safety policy needs to be followed by hospital management to avoid the same kind of incident. As the investigation is ongoing, a detailed report will be made available when it has been completed.
So not only is the RIMS Adilabad fire related to the newborn's death but also to fire preparedness and electrical safety in a big government hospital. And we will have more to update on the outcome of the investigation and the exact sequence of events in the future.
