Three children killed in fire at SNCU ward of RIMS hospital Adilabad in Telangana; 25 children saved

Three infants died following a fire at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Telangana’s Adilabad district late on Monday (September 21) night. The incident occurred around 11:40 p.m. Another 25 infants treated in the ward were safely rescued and evacuated in time.

According to Adilabad District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Sadhana, the fire was caused after the air conditioner in the SNCU reception area caught fire.

“The SNCU has two wings, one with 11 beds and the other with 13 beds, while the Kangaroo Maternal Care area opposite the SNCU has four beds. The wards are closed and have glass windows. When the fire broke out, smoke had accumulated inside the unit. Once the fire was noticed, the patient attendants broke the glass windows and evacuated the children from the premises,” he said.

The rescued infants were subsequently taken to nearby private hospitals for further treatment. The two babies who died, aged five and four days, were premature babies. One of them died immediately after the incident, while the other succumbed four hours later. The third child, a two-day-old girl who was born prematurely at 28 weeks and weighed 1.1 kg, was in a critical condition and died while being rushed to a nearby hospital, Director of Medical Education (DME) N. Vani confirmed.

Adilabad SP Akhil Mahajan said the incident took place around 11.40 pm and police teams reached the hospital within three minutes, at 11.43 pm | Photo credit: Special arrangement

After receiving information about the fire, the fire department was called to the hospital and managed to bring the fire under control. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The police registered the case and started an investigation.

Telangana Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha met the families of the affected children at the hospital. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

Adilabad Superintendent of Police (SP) Akhil Mahajan said the incident took place around 11.40 pm and police teams reached the hospital within three minutes, at 11.43 pm “Though Ganesha immersion processions were going on and a large number of police personnel were deployed, our teams were able to reach the spot within three minutes and help evacuate the children,” he said.

CM offers condolences

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed grief over the incident and offered his condolences to the families of the infants. He said the deaths of the infants were extremely tragic. The Chief Minister directed the officials to ensure better medical care for the children undergoing treatment at the hospital and keep a constant watch on their health.

Mr. Reddy ordered an inquiry into the incident and directed the officials to submit a report on the causes of the fire. He further directed the authorities to strengthen fire and other security measures in hospitals across the state to prevent similar incidents in future.

Govt. support

Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha, who inspected the fire site, expressed grief over the deaths and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

The minister also reviewed the rescue and relief measures taken after the incident and the measures taken to safely shift the infants undergoing treatment in the SNCU to other wards. He also requested updates from the doctors on the condition of the infants and other children being treated and ordered them to provide the best possible medical care while closely monitoring their health. The minister later met the families of the affected children and assured them of the government’s support.

“The condition of the other children who were in the ward at the time of the incident was stabilized and none of them developed any complications,” reads a note from the minister’s office.

He was accompanied by Adilabad MLA Payal Shanker and Principal Secretary Health, Medical and Family Welfare, Dr. Christina Z. Chongthu.

Telangana Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha along with senior officials inspected the burnt SNCU at RIMS Adilabad on Tuesday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

A preliminary investigation revealed that the fire may have been started by an electrical short in the air conditioning unit, which caused plastic parts to burn and filled the SNCU with thick smoke, the minister said. A detailed investigation by an expert committee would ascertain the exact cause and identify any deficiencies in safety standards, he added.

The minister said RIMS staff, district officials, firefighters and police acted quickly to disconnect power, evacuate the infants and provide emergency medical care.

He said a 150-bed Maternal and Child Health (M&CH) building will be set up at RIMS, increasing the bed capacity from 800 to 950. Plans are also underway to develop the institute into a super-speciality hospital, besides setting up a Hematology and Emergency Trauma Care Department.

The minister said that steps are being taken to increase the number of postgraduate medical posts in paediatrics, gynaecology, radiology and other departments and to strengthen outpatient and inpatient services at RIMS.

Published – 22 Sep 2026 08:35 IST