Six critical patients died after a massive fire broke out late Sunday night in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the trauma centre at Jaipur’s state-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital.
Officials said a suspected short circuit triggered the blaze, which caused panic among patients and their families.
The fire erupted around 11:20 p.m. in the neuro ICU ward’s storage room, where medical equipment, papers, and blood sample tubes were kept.
“A short circuit was the primary cause of the fire,” said Dr. Anurag Dhakad, in charge of the trauma centre.
At the time of the incident, 11 patients were admitted to the affected ICU, while 13 others were in an adjoining ward.
According to officials, the deceased were identified as Pintu from Sikar, Dilip and Bahadur from Jaipur, Shrinath, Rukmini, Khurma -- all from Bharatpur.
“The loss of lives due to a fire tragedy at a hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is deeply saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office wrote in a post on X.
"Six of them, two women and four men, died in the incident," trauma centre in-charge Dr Anurag Dhakad said. "Fourteen other patients were admitted in a different ICU, and all were successfully evacuated to safer locations," he added.
Hospital staff and attendants immediately began rescue operations, evacuating patients—many along with their beds—to the roadside as thick smoke filled the corridors.
“We were inside the operating theatre when we heard about the fire, so we immediately rushed to rescue the people inside the centre. We managed to save at least three to four patients. However, as the flames intensified, we could no longer go into the building,” said Vikas, a ward boy at the hospital.
A fire officer said crews arrived soon after being alerted but faced difficulty accessing the ward.
“By the time fire crews arrived, the entire ward was filled with smoke, blocking all access. We had to break windowpanes from the opposite side of the building and spray water jets inside,” the officer said. It took nearly two hours to douse the flames.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel, and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham visited the hospital to review the situation. When Patel and Bedham arrived, several relatives of the victims protested, alleging negligence by hospital staff.
“We noticed smoke and immediately informed the staff, but they did not pay any heed. When the fire broke out, they were the first to run. Now, we cannot get any information about our patients. We want to know their condition, but no one is telling us,” said one attendee.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also expressed his condolences, calling the incident “extremely heartbreaking.”
He posted on X, “The fire in the ICU of the trauma center at SMS Hospital, resulting in the death of 7 people, is extremely heartbreaking. I pray to God that there is minimal loss of life in this accident. May the Lord grant place to the departed souls at His divine feet and swiftly restore the health of the injured.”
He also urged the government to “conduct a high-level investigation into this incident to ensure that such accidents do not recur anywhere in the future.”
Protests by the relatives of victims continued outside the hospital premises on Monday, demanding accountability from the administration and immediate action against those responsible.