Nation

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Adilabad, September 22: The fire broke out late Monday night at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Hospital in Adilabad, Telangana, resulting in the death of a five-day-old newborn. The incident occurred in a ward where several newborn children were receiving treatment. Fire officials said 28 other children admitted to the ward were safely evacuated after hospital staff and emergency responders launched a rapid rescue operation.

The fire broke out at around 11:50 pm on Monday. The sudden blaze quickly filled the ward with thick smoke, creating a dangerous situation for the newborns, many of whom required specialised medical care. After receiving information about the incident, a fire tender was immediately rushed to the hospital. Firefighters worked to bring the flames under control while hospital personnel concentrated on moving the children away from the affected ward. 

The five-day-old infant could not be saved and died in the fire. The remaining 28 children were evacuated from the ward and moved to safety. The incident triggered an emergency response inside the hospital as staff members and firefighters worked together to prevent the situation from becoming more serious. Reports said thick smoke spread rapidly through the ward, increasing the difficulty of the rescue operation. 

The exact cause of the fire has not yet been officially established. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to determine how the blaze started and whether any electrical or equipment-related failure was responsible. Some reports have cited a possible electrical short circuit involving an air-conditioning unit as an initial line of inquiry, but officials have not yet confirmed this as the final cause. 

The affected ward was being used to provide specialised care to newborn children, making the incident particularly serious because of the vulnerability of the patients. As the fire and smoke spread, the immediate priority was to evacuate the babies before the situation worsened. Firefighters and hospital staff succeeded in removing 28 children from the affected area and ensuring that they were taken to safety.

The incident, police and district authorities reached the hospital and began assessing the circumstances surrounding the fire. Investigators are examining the ward, electrical equipment and other possible sources that may have contributed to the blaze. Officials are also expected to look into the hospital's fire-safety arrangements and emergency response procedures as part of the investigation.

The incident has once again highlighted the importance of strict fire-safety measures in hospitals, particularly in neonatal and special-care units where patients are unable to evacuate on their own. Newborns requiring intensive or specialised medical attention depend entirely on medical staff and caregivers during emergencies, making rapid evacuation and effective fire-response systems essential.

While the fire was brought under control and the majority of the children were rescued, the death of the five-day-old infant has left the family and hospital community deeply distressed. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident, while medical teams are monitoring the children who were evacuated from the affected ward. 

The incident occurred amid conflicting early reports about the number of fatalities. Initial agency reports on September 22 reported the death of one five-day-old newborn, while later reports said additional infants had died. Therefore, the casualty figure may change as authorities complete their assessment.