Three Newborns Die in NICU Fire at Amravati Government Hospital

Three newborns died after a fire broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit of a government hospital in Amravati, Maharashtra. Hospital staff evacuated 36 other infants.

Preliminary accounts indicate the blaze began when a ventilator sparked. Security guards and nurses entered the smoke-filled unit to carry children to safety. Parents later described finding some infants covered in ash.

The state government ordered an inquiry into the incident. Authorities are examining equipment maintenance records and fire-safety compliance at the facility.

The hospital serves a large catchment area in the Vidarbha region. Similar equipment-related fires in neonatal units have previously prompted reviews of electrical and medical-device standards in public hospitals.