Doctors, nurses and other hospital staff rushed to the ward after the fire broke out and began evacuating the babies. Medical equipment was disconnected and the infants were moved out of the affected area
Three newborn babies died after a fire broke out at a government hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati in the early hours of Monday, prompting an emergency evacuation of dozens of infants undergoing treatment.
The fire reportedly erupted around 3:30 am after a ventilator exploded on the third floor. At the time of the incident, 39 newborns were admitted to the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the Amravati District Women’s Hospital.
#BREAKING | 3 Newborns Die After Ventilator Blast Triggers Fire At Maharashtra Hospital
Congress leader Atul Londhe Patil (@atullondhe) and NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto (@Clyde_Crasto) speak to NDTV’s @divyawadhwa on Amravati ventilator blast
Prajakta Pol reports pic.twitter.com/Dt0XDAcmiS
— NDTV (@ndtv) August 24, 2026
The three infants died after suffering severe burns and smoke inhalation.
Amravati Police Commissioner Rakesh Ola told news agency PTI that the SNCU has three compartments – one each for inborn and outborn babies, and one for step-down care for children ready to be discharged. He further said that 39 infants were admitted across the three sections.
Staff Evacuate Newborns
Doctors, nurses and other hospital staff rushed to the ward after the fire broke out and began evacuating the babies. Medical equipment was disconnected and the infants were moved out of the affected area as the rescue operation got underway.
Six critically affected newborns were shifted to a nearby Super Speciality Hospital for treatment.
Senior police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), reached the site shortly after the incident to assess the situation and initiate a probe. Local authorities have announced a formal high-level inquiry to fix accountability for the administrative lapses that led to this tragedy, news agency IANS reported.
Expressing grief over the loss, the Amravati District Guardian Minister and Revenue Minister Chandrashekar Bawankule offered heartfelt condolences to the grieving families and pledged full government support during this crisis.
“I am deeply saddened by today’s tragic incident in Amravati. My heart goes out to the affected families,” Bawankule said. “I pay my solemn tributes to the departed newborns and pray that God gives their parents the strength to bear this irreparable loss.”
अमरावतीमधील आजच्या दुर्घटनेमुळे मी खूप दुःखी झालो. माझे मन हेलावून गेले आहे.
दगावलेल्या नवजात बालकांना अतिशय व्यथित अंतःकरणाने श्रद्धांजली व्यक्त करतो. त्यांच्या पालकांना हे दुःख सहन करण्याची ताकद ईश्वर देवो, अशी प्रार्थना करतो.
या घटनेच्या संपूर्ण चौकशीचे आदेश मी दिले आहेत. जे…— Chandrashekhar Bawankule (@cbawankule) August 24, 2026
NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule termed the fire at Maharashtra hospital that killed three newborns “extremely heartbreaking” and demanded a thorough probe into the incident, alleging that it pointed to serious lapses in the system.
अमरावती जिल्हा स्त्री रुग्णालयात NICU विभागातील व्हेंटिलेटरमध्ये स्फोट झाल्याने लागलेल्या आगीत ३ नवजात अर्भके मृत्युमुखी पडली तर आणखी काही गंभीर आहेत. हि अतिशय हृदयद्रावक घटना आहे. आई-वडील आपल्या बाळाची आतुरतेने वाट पाहत असतात पण त्याच बालकाला अशा पद्धतीने गमावावे लागले तर…
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) August 24, 2026
“The entire incident must be thoroughly investigated, and strictest action should be taken against those responsible. There is also an urgent need to conduct fire audits and safety audits of medical equipment in all government and private hospitals across Maharashtra,” she said on X.
Former minister and Congress leader Advocate Yashomati Thakur called the fire at Amravati District Women’s Hospital that claimed three newborns’ lives as “very shocking” and alleged lapses in the hospital’s firefighting system may have allowed the fire to spread.