Three newborn babies died after a fire broke out in the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Amravati’s District Women’s Hospital, also known as Daffrin Hospital, around 3.15 am on August 24. Of the 39 infants in the unit, 36 were rescued, while the three babies in the affected section died.
A subsequent inquiry has now found serious lapses, including non-functional fire alarms and sprinklers, a locked fire pump house, delayed maintenance of ventilators and shortcomings in technical inspections.
The Maharashtra Public Health Department has suspended five officials, including senior health and hospital officials, over alleged negligence and supervisory failures, while proceedings have been initiated to blacklist AOV International LLP; another medical equipment firm, Schiller, is also under scrutiny.
Preliminary autopsy findings say two babies died from severe burns and the third from smoke-related respiratory failure. Police have preserved samples for further examination. Health Minister Prakash Abitkar had earlier promised stringent action against those found responsible, while the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also sought a report from the Maharashtra government.
Fire Safety Systems Failed
The tragedy has raised serious questions about whether the deaths could have been prevented. The fire erupted inside the SNCU on the hospital’s third floor, where premature and critically ill newborns were being treated. Initial reports attributed the blaze to a ventilator-related incident, with Amravati Police Commissioner Rakesh Ola saying the fire was triggered by a ventilator. Hospital staff rushed to evacuate the babies, and 36 infants were ultimately rescued.
Eyewitness accounts from families described chaotic scenes as nurses, security personnel and others attempted to move newborns to safety. Families told PTI that some babies were found covered in soot, while the water-spray system was alleged to have failed during the emergency.
However, the subsequent high-level inquiry has provided a more detailed picture. It found that the hospital’s fire alarm and sprinkler systems were not functioning when the blaze broke out. The fire pump house was also locked, while ventilators and other medical equipment had not received maintenance and repairs as required. The committee additionally flagged deficiencies in technical inspections.
Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, who visited the hospital after the incident, had said a seven-member committee would examine all aspects of the fire and that those found responsible would face strict action. “Stringent action” would be taken against those found guilty, he said.
Autopsy Reveals How Babies Died
The preliminary post-mortem findings have also clarified how the three newborns died. According to police sources cited by The Times of India, two babies suffered severe burn injuries, while the third died after smoke entered the respiratory tract and caused severe breathing difficulties.
One baby suffered around 75.5% burns and died from shock caused by the injuries. A second suffered approximately 20% burns, with the reported cause of death involving severe burns along with respiratory obstruction from smoke. The third, a one-day-old baby, suffered around 4% burns, but smoke inhalation caused severe breathing difficulty and proved fatal.
Police have clarified that these are preliminary findings. Viscera and other samples have been preserved, and further forensic examination will be carried out before the final conclusions are issued.
The inquiry has also prompted action beyond the hospital administration. Five officials have been suspended, including the Deputy Director of Health Services, Akola Circle; the Medical Superintendent of the Government Women’s Hospital; the Additional District Surgeon, Amravati; the hospital’s Administrative Officer; and its electrician. The government has also ordered disciplinary action against other contractual personnel found responsible.
Inquiry Finds Systemic Lapses
The latest action comes after a seven-member committee headed by Public Health Services Commissioner Sanjay Katkar was constituted immediately after the fire. The committee was tasked with identifying the precise cause of the incident and determining responsibility.
The findings are significant because they go beyond the initial focus on the suspected ventilator malfunction. The inquiry found failures at multiple levels from medical equipment maintenance to fire preparedness and administrative supervision.
The government has also initiated proceedings to blacklist AOV International LLP, which the inquiry held responsible for lapses. Prima facie deficiencies were also identified in the services of medical equipment company Schiller, with the government directing that its forensic report be obtained before further action, including possible blacklisting, is taken.
The case had earlier attracted national scrutiny when the NHRC took suo motu cognisance of the deaths. On August 27, the Commission sought a detailed report from Maharashtra’s Chief Secretary, including the condition of injured babies and the status of compensation announced for the families. The NHRC said that, if the reported facts were established, the incident raised serious human-rights concerns.
The government had announced ₹5 lakh compensation for each deceased child’s family, while treatment for injured infants was to be covered by the state. The tragedy also prompted calls for wider fire and electrical safety audits across hospitals in Maharashtra. Opposition leaders questioned whether lessons from previous hospital fires, including the 2021 Bhandara tragedy in which 10 infants died, had been adequately implemented.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Three newborns who were supposed to be receiving care in a government hospital instead lost their lives in a fire that the subsequent inquiry says exposed failures in basic safety and maintenance systems. While accountability must follow wherever negligence is established, the larger priority should be ensuring that such failures are identified before an emergency claims another life.
Hospitals, particularly neonatal units, care for patients who cannot protect or evacuate themselves. Fire alarms, sprinklers, medical equipment and emergency systems cannot be treated as paperwork or periodic compliance exercises; they have to work when families need them most.
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