Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of seven patients in a fire at the state-run Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur on Sunday night. In a tweet issued by the PMO, he extended his condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
“The loss of lives due to a fire tragedy at a hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is deeply saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon,” PM Modi stated.
The fire erupted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the trauma centre on the hospital’s second floor, reportedly due to a short circuit. Smoke quickly spread, causing panic among patients and their families. Several ICU equipment items, documents, and blood sample tubes were destroyed in the blaze.
At the time, 210 patients were admitted, with 40 patients in each of the four ICUs. Reports allege that at night, only one staff member was present per ICU, and they allegedly fled soon after the fire broke out. Family members and remaining hospital personnel helped evacuate patients, some of whom were carried outside to their beds. Firefighters managed to bring the fire under control within approximately two hours.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has ordered a probe into the incident. A committee chaired by Iqbal Khan, Commissioner of the Medical Education Department, will investigate the cause of the fire, hospital management’s response, firefighting arrangements, patient safety and evacuation procedures, and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
