Thirty-nine newborns were being treated in the unit when the fire broke out. Doctors and nurses rushed to disconnect babies from life-support equipment and move them to safety as authorities ordered an inquiry into the tragedy.
BY PC Bureau
Three newborn babies died after a fire swept through the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the government-run District Women’s Hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati in the early hours of Monday. The blaze, which broke out on the hospital’s third floor around 3:30 a.m., triggered a frantic evacuation as medical staff rushed to rescue critically ill infants dependent on life-support equipment.
At the time, 39 newborns were undergoing treatment in the unit. Preliminary reports suggested that the fire may have followed an explosion in a ventilator, although the exact cause remains under investigation. Three infants suffered severe burns and smoke inhalation and died, while six others were shifted to a nearby super-speciality hospital for further treatment. Their condition was not immediately known.
Doctors, nurses and other staff members on duty responded quickly after the fire was detected. They disconnected the babies from medical equipment and moved them out of the smoke-filled ward, with several infants evacuated to safer areas of the hospital.
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Authorities have launched a probe into the incident. Officials are examining the ventilator malfunction, the possibility of an electrical short circuit and whether any lapses in equipment maintenance or fire-safety measures contributed to the tragedy.
Three newborns were tragically killed after a major fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), also referred to as the Special Newborn Care Unit, at the District Women’s Hospital in Amravati, Maharashtra, early Monday.
The fire reportedly broke out at nearly 3.30… pic.twitter.com/3Ncz15TCxT
— Vani Mehrotra (@vani_mehrotra) August 24, 2026
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was briefed on the incident, while Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule ordered a comprehensive inquiry and said medical assistance was being provided to the injured newborns.
Badnera MLA Ravi Rana confirmed the deaths, while former Amravati MP Navneet Rana was reported to have visited or headed to the hospital.
The incident has highlighted the particular dangers posed by fires in neonatal units, where critically ill newborns often depend on ventilators and other equipment and cannot be evacuated without careful medical intervention. The inquiry is expected to establish the exact sequence of events and determine whether safety protocols were followed.
