A fire at the Rajasthan government-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital’s trauma centre in Jaipur late Sunday night claimed the lives of six critically ill patients, according to officials.
The blaze broke out in the storage area of the Neuro Intensive Care Unit, where 11 patients were receiving treatment. Dr Anurag Dhakad, who oversees the trauma centre, said a short circuit is believed to have triggered the fire. Smoke quickly spread across the floor, causing widespread panic among patients and their families. Hospital staff and attendants rushed to evacuate patients, some of whom were wheeled out on their beds. Firefighters arrived promptly and managed to contain the fire within two hours.
Vikas, a ward assistant present during the incident, told PTI that he and other staff members attempted to rescue as many patients as possible before the flames intensified. “We were in the operating theatre when we heard about the fire. We rushed to help and managed to save three or four patients. But as the fire grew, it became impossible to go back in,” he said.
He added that police arrived later but were unable to enter the building immediately due to thick smoke. Fire crews had to break a window on the far side of the ward to begin extinguishing the flames. The fire destroyed documents, medical equipment, blood sample tubes, and other stored items.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel and Minister of State for Home Affairs Jawahar Singh Bedham visited the hospital to assess the situation. During their visit, relatives of two patients voiced frustration, alleging that hospital staff abandoned their posts during the emergency and failed to provide updates on the condition of their loved ones. “We saw smoke and alerted the staff, but they ignored us. When the fire broke out, they were the first to flee. Now, no one is telling us anything about our patients,” one relative said.
Six-member panel constituted to probe Jaipur Hospital Fire
The Rajasthan government has set up a six-member committee to investigate the Jaipur fire mishap, which resulted in six fatalities.
The panel will be led by Iqbal Khan, Commissioner of the Medical Department. Other members include Mukesh Kumar Meena, Additional Director of Hospital Administration at the Rajasthan Medical Education Society (RajMES); Chandan Singh Meena, Chief Engineer, RajMES; Ajay Mathur, Chief Electrical Engineer at the Public Works Department; R.K. Jain, Additional Principal of SMS Medical College; and the Chief Fire Officer of Jaipur Municipal Corporation.
The authorities tasked the committee with determining the cause of the fire and evaluating the hospital’s emergency response and safety protocols.
