Father’s hope dashed as fire at RIMS claims newborn daughter in Adilabad, Telangana

A fire broke out at the Special Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU) of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad on Monday (September 21, 2026).

Salim Khan of Ichoda was hopeful that his five-day-old premature daughter would recover and return home. A midnight fire at the Special Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU) of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad on Monday (September 21, 2026) turned that hope into sadness.

He hoped to take her home after she recovered, even though his wife was recovering in the maternity ward after a C-section.

Five-day-old Sabha Khanum was among three children who died after the fire, which reportedly started after an air conditioner caught fire.

Sabha, who was on ventilator support at SNUC, died in the incident. Two more infants succumbed later on Tuesday (September 22, 2026) in the morning while undergoing treatment at hospitals in Adilabad and Nizamabad.

“Smoke covered my daughter’s face as she was brought from SNCU in suffocating conditions,” said Salim Khan, visibly shaken by the loss. “We admitted that she had hoped that she would recover soon and return home. But those hopes were dashed by the fire.”

Approximately 27 infants were reportedly present in the SNCU when the incident occurred. Rapid evacuation of the infants by RIMS personnel and patient nurses helped prevent further causation as thick smoke quickly filled the SNCU.

Despite poor visibility and suffocating conditions, they moved the infants from the unit and moved them to safety.

“As soon as I noticed thick smoke coming out of the SNCU, I rushed to save the infant,” said the patient’s attendant, who was in the hospital corridor at the time.

“I, along with others, broke the glass windows to let the smoke escape and then entered the SNCU and covered my face with a t-shirt. Despite the thick smoke, I saw hospital staff and family members carrying children out in their arms. They were later taken to nearby children’s hospitals in ambulances,” he recalled.

Another eyewitness, a woman who was at the hospital, said she heard a loud noise before she rushed to the SNCU. “I found the ward full of dark smoke. I immediately took my premature granddaughter out before the smoke got worse,” she said, expressing dismay at the incident at the unit, which was supposed to provide critical care for premature and vulnerable newborns.

A quick evacuation was essential to prevent further loss of life, the eyewitness said. The remaining 24 infants were taken to various children’s hospitals for further treatment and are in stable condition, according to officials.

Published – 22 Sep 2026 15:18 IST