Three infants, including a five-day-old baby, died after a fire broke out at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Government Hospital in Adilabad late Monday night, 21st September. The fire broke out around 11.50 pm when several newborn babies and their attendants were inside the unit.
The ward, where sick, premature and low-birth-weight babies receive round-the-clock care, quickly filled with thick smoke, making it difficult for the infants to breathe.
Telangana | A five-day-old newborn died in a fire that broke out at RIMS Hospital in Adilabad last night. 28 children admitted in a ward were safely rescued and evacuated in time. The incident occurred around 11:50 pm. Upon receiving information, one fire tender was rushed to the… pic.twitter.com/XYJQNBqF0Y
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2026
Babies evacuated from smoke-filled ward
Hospital staff and family members immediately raised an alarm and started moving the babies out of the unit. The power supply was also switched off as a precaution. Staff members broke the glass panes to help rescue the infants trapped inside the smoke-filled ward.
Fire department personnel rushed to the hospital and worked to stop the flames from spreading to other parts of the building. The fire was eventually contained within the children’s ward.
A five-day-old infant from Ichoda, whose father was identified as Saleem, died in the incident. Two other infants also died, bringing the total number of deaths to three. According to officials, one infant is believed to have died due to asphyxiation, while another died while receiving treatment.
At least 25 other newborns were evacuated and shifted to private hospitals for emergency care. Three of them were in critical condition. Officials later said 25 infants were out of danger, while three sustained injuries.
AC short circuit being examined
According to preliminary findings, an electrical short circuit in a window air conditioner may have started the fire. Adilabad station fire officer D Jayatram told TOI that the fire appeared to have started from the AC. However, the exact cause of the blaze is still being investigated.
Some attendants who were present in the ward were also affected by smoke inhalation. RIMS Director Jaisingh, who was on rounds when the incident happened, rushed to the SNCU with hospital staff and ambulance drivers and supervised the evacuation.
District Collector Rajarshi Shah also visited the hospital and took stock of the situation. He said 25 infants had been shifted to private hospitals for further treatment. Police have registered a case and started an investigation into the fire.
