Amravati Hospital Fire: No lapse in fire safety audits, says District Magistrate

Amravati: Following the fire at the District Women’s Hospital in Maharashtra’s Amravati that claimed the lives of three newborns, the district administration clarified that regular fire audits had been conducted at the hospital and that an application had already been submitted for this year’s audit.

The fire broke out at around 3:15 am on Monday in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on the third floor of the hospital. A ventilator is suspected to have sparked the blaze. While three newborns died in the incident, 36 other children were rescued unharmed. 

Also Read:Amravati Hospital Fire: 3 Newborns Die, Ventilator Explosion Suspected

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that three newborns died after a massive fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the District Women's Hospital in Amravati in the early hours of Monday, officials said.

Rejecting allegations that mandatory fire safety checks had been skipped, Amravati District Magistrate Ashish Yerekar said records confirmed that fire audits had been conducted regularly. He said the hospital had also applied for a fresh audit with the Public Works Department’s Electrical Wing.

According to NDTV, Yerekar said, "No, the fire audit for last year was indeed conducted, and they have also applied for this year's fire audit with the PWD Electrical wing. I have seen the documents myself, so it is not the case that the fire audit was skipped. Fire audits have been conducted regularly". 

The administration said the investigation is now focusing on the equipment suspected to have triggered the blaze. Yerekar said any administrative lapse would invite strict action and accountability would be fixed. If an equipment defect is established, action would also be taken against the company concerned.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the deaths and described the incident as “extremely tragic and heart-wrenching”. He ordered a high-level inquiry to establish responsibility and directed the health administration to take strict action against anyone found responsible.

Fadnavis also announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the three newborns who died in the fire.

He said the Health Minister and the Health Secretary had been instructed to visit Amravati and directed the district administration to ensure that children injured in the incident receive treatment at government expense.

While the administration is investigating a possible equipment failure, relatives of some children admitted to the hospital have alleged that the ward’s water-spray fire suppression system did not function when the blaze broke out.

According to the relatives, the system was expected to activate automatically after detecting the fire. The allegations are likely to be examined as part of the ongoing inquiry.

Family members described scenes of panic as flames spread through the ward and parents rushed to rescue their children. Several relatives also questioned the hospital administration and demanded accountability for the deaths

Yogesh Savarkar, a resident of Achalpur in Amravati, was among the parents caught in the chaos. His wife and their eight-day-old child were admitted to the hospital, while he was sleeping outside the building when he learned about the fire. 

Speaking to NDTV, Savarkar said his child was admitted on the first floor. As news of the fire spread, he rushed into the hospital, rescued his baby, and brought him to safety. "My child was on the first floor, and I personally went and brought him down. However, I could see black ashes on the other children in the hospital," Savarkar said. He recalled that the situation was extremely difficult, with fire spreading above the ward where children had been admitted.

According to him, security guards were among the first to reach the affected area and begin rescue operations, while a nurse also helped evacuate children.

The tragedy has sparked renewed concerns over fire safety and emergency preparedness in hospitals.

Also Read:Delhi Hospitals set to undergo electrical, fire safety and energy audit