Three Newborns Die in Fire at Amravati District Women’s Hospital

Three newborn babies died after a fire broke out in the Special Newborn Care Unit of the District Women’s Hospital in Amravati, Maharashtra, early on Monday.

A ventilator on the third floor sparked at approximately 3.15 a.m., according to police and hospital officials. The fire spread through the unit that treats premature, low-weight and critically ill infants.

Staff on duty, along with security guards, evacuated the remaining infants. Officials said 36 babies were rescued. Six were transferred to a super-speciality hospital for further treatment. One of those infants is in critical condition with burns to the hands and legs.

Amravati Police Commissioner Rakesh Ola confirmed the sequence of events. District Surgeon Dr Vinod Pawar said some of the evacuated infants had minor burns or smoke exposure.

Parents waiting outside the hospital described chaotic scenes. One father said he saw infants covered in black ash. Relatives alleged that fire alarms did not sound and that the water sprinkler system failed to activate.

Praful Chopde, who lost his five-day-old son, was among those who criticised the hospital’s safety systems. Another parent, Yogesh Savarkar, said he retrieved his own child from a different floor and observed the condition of others.

The hospital has three Special Newborn Care Units with a combined capacity of 39 infants. One unit was affected.

Maharashtra authorities have ordered an inquiry. Local police registered a case and began investigating the cause of the ventilator failure and the performance of fire safety equipment.

The incident highlights ongoing concerns about infrastructure and emergency readiness in public neonatal units. Families continue to demand accountability while the medical staff who conducted the evacuation receive credit for limiting the loss of life.

Further details on the condition of the transferred infants and the findings of the official probe are expected in the coming days.