Telangana Hospital Fire Toll Rises to 5 After Two More Newborns Die
· India · Hindustan Times, Indian Express
The death toll from the Monday night fire at the Special Newborn Care Unit in Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Adilabad rose to five after two more infants succumbed to injuries on Wednesday. A five-day old female infant died while being shifted to a hospital in Nirmal, and a two-weeks-old baby died during treatment at the institute. The initial blaze was triggered by an air-conditioning explosion, producing toxic smoke and gases that caused three premature babies to die of asphyxiation. Security guards, ambulance drivers, and staff rescued 20 newborns from the 27 infants who were receiving treatment in incubators during the incident. State Health Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha announced that an expert committee would examine the cause of the fire and safety lapses, while the government ordered electrical, fire, and structural audits for the facility.
Why it matters
Families receiving neonatal care at public medical facilities in Telangana face heightened safety risks following fatal infrastructure failures. The incident has triggered mandatory electrical and fire audits across state healthcare infrastructure to prevent similar tragedies.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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