Jaipur, Oct 6 (NationPress) In a tragic turn of events late last night, the Rajasthan government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the eight individuals who perished in a catastrophic fire at the Neuro ICU ward's storeroom within the Trauma Centre of Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital.

The victims were all patients, and initial investigations point to a short circuit as the potential cause of the fire.

The blaze broke out in a storeroom filled with paper materials, ICU equipment, and blood sampler tubes, located next to the Neuro ICU. At the time of the incident, there were 11 patients in the ICU and 13 in a nearby ward.

According to the hospital's nodal officer and senior medical professionals, rescue operations were initiated swiftly, but tragically, eight patients could not be saved. The remains of the deceased were returned to their families following post-mortem examinations.

In response to the tragedy, the victims' families organized a protest, demanding Rs 50 lakh in compensation and government jobs for each affected family.

A seven-hour negotiation ensued between the relatives and senior officials, including Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham, Deputy Chief Minister Premchand Bairwa, Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph, and District Collector Jitendra Soni.

Eventually, a consensus was reached, and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma subsequently announced the Rs 10 lakh financial aid for each family of the deceased.

“The state government is firmly supportive of the grieving families,” stated the CM in a late-night announcement.

To investigate the cause and determine accountability, the state government has established a six-member committee tasked with conducting a thorough inquiry.

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team has already gathered crucial evidence from the scene. Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar visited the trauma centre 18 hours post-incident, ensuring that a fair investigation would be pursued.

Earlier, Deputy CM Premchand Bairwa and Minister Jawahar Singh Bedham visited the hospital to engage with district officials and medical staff. They reviewed ongoing relief operations and assured continued governmental assistance for the affected families.