Three newborns died and six others remain under critical care after a fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a government women's hospital in Amravati district, Maharashtra, in the early hours of Monday, 24 August. The blaze, which started at around 3:30 am, was triggered by an explosion in a ventilator on the third floor of the hospital's recently constructed building, according to preliminary reports.

What Happened

The fire broke out in one of three NICU wards on the third floor, which together hold a combined capacity of 39 beds. At the time of the incident, the affected ward reportedly housed between 9 and 12 high-risk, premature infants under critical care. Three infants died due to heavy smoke inhalation, while six others were shifted to a local Super Speciality Hospital for treatment. Duty doctors, nurses, and hospital staff managed to evacuate several infants as soon as the fire was detected.

Ventilator Explosion and Fire Suppression Failure

According to preliminary reports, an explosion in a ventilator sparked the blaze, which rapidly spread through the unit via fire and smoke. Authorities are investigating whether the ventilator that exploded was outdated, poorly maintained, or suffered a critical technical failure. Notably, the building was inaugurated just a year ago, yet the automated fire suppression system reportedly failed to activate — a detail that has drawn sharp scrutiny. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Supriya Sule Demands Accountability

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) working president and Member of Parliament Supriya Sule condemned the incident in a post on social media platform X, calling it 'a glaring example of negligence in the system.' In her post, Sule wrote: 'In Amravati district's women's hospital, an explosion in a ventilator in the NICU department caused a fire, in which 3 newborns lost their lives, while a few others are in serious condition. This is an extremely heart-wrenching incident. Mothers and fathers eagerly await their baby, but to lose that child in such a manner, what ordeal must have befallen them is unimaginable.'

Sule further stated: 'This is not merely an accident but a glaring example of negligence in the system. A thorough investigation of the entire matter must be conducted, and the strictest possible action must be taken against those responsible. Along with this, there is a need to conduct fire audits of all government and private hospitals in Maharashtra, as well as safety audits of medical equipment.'

She also expressed condolences to the bereaved families, saying: 'I express my condolences to the families who have lost their children in this incident. Heartfelt tribute to the departed. May the injured newborns recover soon and return to their mother's lap — this is my prayer at the feet of God.'

Outrage and Broader Safety Concerns

The incident has triggered intense public outrage and raised serious questions about emergency preparedness and equipment maintenance standards at government medical facilities in Maharashtra. This comes amid a broader pattern of fire safety lapses at Indian hospitals, where NICU fires have claimed infant lives in multiple states over the past decade. Sule's call for statewide fire and safety audits of both government and private hospitals reflects mounting pressure on authorities to act beyond the immediate investigation. The first critical test will be whether the probe identifies systemic failures — such as the non-activation of the fire suppression system — or limits accountability to individual actors.