A devastating fire broke out late Sunday night at a Jaipur hospital, claiming the lives of eight patients and leaving families in grief and anger. Relatives of those affected have shared heart-wrenching accounts of the tragedy, alleging that their warnings to the hospital staff went unheeded as smoke filled the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Several family members said that they noticed smoke early in the evening and tried to alert the doctors and nurses but their concerns were ignored. They claimed that the hospital staff abandoned the patients as the fire spread, leaving many critically ill patients trapped inside. Some also said that the hospital lacked even basic firefighting equipment, which may have contributed to the loss of lives.
Om Prakash, whose maternal aunt’s son was admitted to the hospital, described the scene in distressing detail. He recalled noticing smoke around 11:20 pm and immediately warned the hospital staff about the danger. He said that by the time the smoke intensified, most doctors and attendants had left and only a few patients were evacuated. Tragically, his relative, who had been recovering and was expected to be discharged soon, did not survive.
Jogendra Singh, another grieving family member, spoke about losing his mother in the fire. He said that he had repeatedly alerted the hospital staff about sparks and smoke but his warnings were dismissed. Suddenly, the smoke engulfed the entire ICU and all staff members reportedly fled, leaving patients helpless. While he managed to save his brother, he remains in critical condition and his mother could not be rescued in time.
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Ranjit Singh Rathore recounted receiving a distressing call around 11:30 pm about his brother’s condition. By the time he reached the hospital and managed to get inside, it was too late and his brother had passed away. Another witness described the lack of fire safety measures, explaining that there were no fire extinguishers, cylinders or even water available to control the fire, making the tragedy unavoidable.
The fire occurred at the state-run Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur, specifically in the ICU on the second floor of the trauma centre building. At the time, eleven patients were admitted to the trauma ICU. Six patients — four men and two women — di*d instantly, while two more succumbed to burn injuries later. Several other patients were rescued and shifted to safer areas of the hospital.
Preliminary investigations suggest that a short circuit triggered the fire, which quickly spread and released toxic gases. Most of the patients in the trauma ICU were comatose, adding urgency and complexity to the rescue efforts.
Anurag Dhakad, the in-charge of the trauma centre, explained that the centre has two ICUs on the second floor, accommodating twenty-four patients in total. When the fire broke out, the team including nurses and attendants, worked to evacuate as many patients as possible on trolleys but despite their efforts, six critically ill patients could not be saved.
The trauma centre official noted that five patients remain in critical condition. He added that the fire spread rapidly, making it extremely difficult to control and rescue everyone in time.
Following the tragedy, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma visited the hospital to assess the situation and offer condolences to the families of the victims.
The incident has sparked public outrage and raised serious concerns about safety measures and emergency preparedness in hospitals, leaving the community demanding accountability for the lives lost in this preventable disaster.
