A blaze broke out on September 21, 2026, at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad, resulting in the deaths of five infants, the Telangana Human Rights Commission (TGHRC) said.
The commission, chaired by Justice Shameem Akther, said it had received reports raising serious concerns about the unit’s maintenance and safety infrastructure, including the condition of air‑conditioning and electrical installations, the functionality of fire alarms, the adequacy of fire‑fighting equipment and the effectiveness of emergency evacuation procedures.
In a suo motu order, the TGHRC instructed the Principal Secretary of the State Medical and Health Department to furnish a comprehensive report covering the circumstances that led to the fire, the existing safety and maintenance arrangements at the SNCU, the measures taken to rescue and treat the affected infants, and the findings of any inquiry already conducted.
The commission said the report is essential to ascertain the facts behind the tragedy and to evaluate whether existing safety protocols were sufficient, signalling a push for greater accountability in the state’s health facilities.