Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 24 : Expressing deep sorrow over the death of three newborn babies in a fire at a government hospital on Monday, Maharashtra Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Prakashrao Abitkar said that hospital personnel made exhaustive efforts to save the infants.
Speaking to ANI, Abitkar said, "Regarding the unfortunate incident that occurred at a hospital in Amravati--in which three of our children tragically lost their lives--it is a deeply unfortunate and sorrowful event for us. Our staff provided ventilator support and made every possible effort to save them, but unfortunately, they did not succeed."
Recounting the incident to ANI, the father of an infant who was admitted to the District Women's Hospital described chaotic scenes following a sudden loud explosion in the ICU area.

"It happened between 3:30 AM and 4:00 AM. My wife was in the ICU when there was the sound of a blast. After the blast, my wife went inside and saw that a fire had started. She told the nurses about the fire and then rushed down to inform me. When I rushed upstairs, the fire was spreading very rapidly. The nurses had no hope of being able to get the children out, as four or five babies were trapped inside ventilators and incubators. The fire had intensified significantly. The fire brigade arrived, but their pipes only reached the top an hour later. By then, the fire had spread so much that we couldn't tell what was happening to the children," the father said.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation and raising questions over the emergency response, the father claimed that nearly 40 to 50 infants were in the facility, with eight to nine trapped in the fire.
"Three children have died, and six have been referred in serious condition. Our only demand is that for the children admitted to private hospitals, they should not demand money; the government should handle it, and they should receive good treatment. Such incidents keep happening; a similar thing happened before as well. The administration takes no solid action. The administration must investigate. The hospital building should be re-inspected, and the electrical work should be checked. There should also be an inquiry into why the fire brigade did not start their work on time," he added.
The remarks come after a fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the District Women's Hospital in Amravati in the early hours of Monday. According to officials, the fire broke out at around 3.15 am in the NICU on the third floor, with a ventilator reportedly sparking and triggering the blaze.
The fire reportedly originated in the section housing outborn babies. Six infants were subsequently shifted to a super-speciality hospital, according to officials.
The cause of the fire has not yet been conclusively established. While preliminary information has pointed towards an electrical malfunction involving a ventilator, authorities are expected to determine the precise sequence of events through the inquiry.