The fire broke out at about 11:40 p.m. on Monday in the reception area of the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), prompting an immediate evacuation of the ward’s 28 infants.
According to District Medical and Health Officer Sadhana, an air‑conditioner in the unit’s reception area burst into flames, likely due to an electrical short circuit that ignited plastic components and filled the enclosed ward with thick smoke. The SNCU comprises two flanks – one with 11 beds and another with 13 – plus a four‑bed Kangaroo Mother Care area opposite the unit, all surrounded by glass windows.
Three preterm babies – aged five, four and two days – died as a result of the fire. One infant died on the spot, another succumbed four hours later, and the two‑day‑old girl died while being transferred to a nearby private hospital. Twenty‑five other infants were safely rescued and shifted to private facilities for continued treatment.
Fire‑fighting teams arrived within three minutes of the alarm, and police, already deployed for a Ganesh immersion procession, assisted in cutting power, breaking the glass windows and evacuating the children. The blaze was brought under control shortly thereafter.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed grief, ordered an inquiry, and directed officials to submit a report on the fire’s cause while strengthening fire‑safety measures in state hospitals. Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha, who inspected the site, also conveyed condolences, reviewed rescue operations, and assured families of government support.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation. A preliminary inquiry points to an electrical short circuit in the air‑conditioning unit as the trigger, but a detailed expert committee will determine the exact cause and any safety lapses. The minister announced plans to expand RIMS with a 150‑bed Mother and Child Health building, raising total capacity from 800 to 950 beds, and to develop the institute into a super‑speciality hospital.