Nine newborns receiving intensive care were safely evacuated from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Asian Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, after smoke and fire were detected in the unit in the early hours of Sept. 4.
What Happened
The blaze began at about 2:30 a.m., reportedly originating near an air-conditioning unit inside the neonatal ward. Thick smoke quickly spread through part of the floor, prompting staff to begin an immediate evacuation.
Evacuation and Response
Hospital employees moved all patients from the affected level—58 people in total, including nine newborns in the NICU, 36 patients in a general ward and 13 in private or special rooms. CCTV footage of the evacuation circulated online, showing staff carrying infants and guiding patients through smoke-filled corridors.
Local fire brigade official Laxman Kolhe said five fire tenders were dispatched, but hospital staff had already completed the evacuation by the time firefighters arrived. Crews brought the blaze under control in less than half an hour despite heavy smoke that made operations difficult.
Hospital Managing Director Dr. Shoaib Hashmi said staff had received fire-safety training and followed emergency procedures as soon as smoke was detected. The nine newborns were transferred to other medical facilities for continued care with their families' consent. No patients or hospital employees were reported injured.
Investigation and Context
Investigators had not immediately confirmed the exact cause, but early information pointed to a possible electrical short circuit in the NICU's air-conditioning system. After the incident, the hospital began providing documentation about its fire-safety clearance to the municipal corporation.
This evacuation follows another tragic neonatal-unit fire in Maharashtra about 10 days earlier at the District Women's Hospital in Amravati, where three premature infants died and the state government ordered a high-level inquiry. The Asian Hospital incident is the state's second major neonatal-unit fire within a fortnight.
Current Status
Patients from the adjoining general ward were later allowed to return, and the hospital resumed normal operations once the situation stabilized. Authorities continue to investigate the exact cause while officials praised staff for the swift evacuation that avoided injuries during a dangerous overnight fire.
