A communiqué issued by the Office of the Medical Superintendent of SMS Hospital at 10:00am placed the death toll at six.
Photo:ANI
Eight patients lost their lives after a fire, reportedly caused by a short circuit, broke out at the trauma centre of Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital here late Sunday night.
A communiqué issued by the Office of the Medical Superintendent of SMS Hospital at 10:00am placed the death toll at six. The postmortem of the bodies was done by a specially constituted Medical Board.
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However, an official spokesperson later said that six of the 11 patients admitted to the neurosurgical ICU—where the fire originated—died either prior to or during evacuation. Two other critically ill patients admitted to a nearby unit also succumbed during evacuation efforts.
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Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said, “Alertness of rescuers, saved many lives, otherwise the mishap was very severe”.
SMS Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Sushil Bhati, Trauma Centre Incharge Dr Anurag Dhakad and some other officers have been removed from the post, the Health Minister said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy on X: “The loss of lives due to a fire tragedy at a hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is deeply saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon,” the Prime Minister’s Office posted.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade, and Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma also conveyed their condolences.
Home Minister Shah termed the incident “tragic,” stating that local authorities were making all-out efforts to rescue and treat affected patients. “My condolences and thoughts are with the families who lost their loved ones in the fire,” he said. Governor Bagade also expressed grief over the deaths and prayed for peace to the departed souls.
Moved by the tragedy, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Prem Chand Bairwa and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham, rushed to the hospital around 2:30 a.m. They met officials, reviewed the situation, issued directives, and visited the injured.
Describing the incident as “extremely unfortunate,” Sharma said that all necessary steps were being taken to ensure patient safety and relief.
“The situation is being continuously monitored. May Lord Shri Ram grant peace to the departed souls. The state government stands firmly with the affected families and is committed to providing all possible assistance,” he posted on X.
Meanwhile, relatives of patients staged protests against the state government and hospital administration, alleging negligence. They lodged complaints with MoS Home Bedham and other authorities.
One caregiver claimed that hospital staff had been informed about electrical sparking nearly 20 minutes before the fire spread. Protesters staged a dharna outside the hospital until an understanding was reached after three rounds of talks with government officials on Monday afternoon regarding compensation and relief for victims’ families.
In response to the tragedy, the Rajasthan government constituted a six-member committee, headed by Medical and Health Commissioner Iqbal Khan, to investigate the incident. The committee has already begun its inquiry.
Jaipur Police Commissioner said that the forensic team was examining the cause of the blaze.
“Our FSL team’s investigation will reveal the cause of the fire. At first glance, it appears to be a short circuit, but the final cause will be confirmed only after the FSL report,” he told ANI.
A hospital ward boy, Vikas, who witnessed the incident, said he and other staff members rushed to rescue patients as soon as they noticed the fire. They managed to save three to four people before the flames became uncontrollable.
He added that although police arrived soon after, they could not enter due to dense smoke. Fire-fighters later broke a window to begin extinguishing the blaze, as the entire ward was engulfed in smoke.
Protesters alleged that earlier warnings about a short circuit in the ICU had gone unheeded.
“We informed the hospital about the electrical issue, but no action was taken. Now families are mourning because of their negligence,” said a protester.
Survivors and relatives recounted harrowing scenes as smoke filled the ward and safety systems failed. Puran Singh, a relative of one patient, described the chaos that ensued when smoke spread rapidly, forcing some to flee while others were trapped in panic.
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot criticized the BJP-led Rajasthan government and demanded a judicial inquiry into the tragedy, which claimed at least eight lives.
According to a press note issued by SMS Hospital, the fire broke out around 11:20 pm in Neurosurgery ICU-1 of the Trauma and Orthopaedic Institute due to an electrical short circuit, filling the entire ICU with smoke.
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