Initial probe suggests that the fire was triggered by a short circuit.
Bhopal hospital fire: Expressing grief over the fire incident at Bhopal's Kamala Nehru Hospital, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in a tweet late on Monday said that the 'rescue operation was swift'. The chief minister also ordered a high-level probe into the tragic incident in which at least four newborns were killed.
According to eye-witnesses, as the fire broke out in the special newborn-care unit of the hospital, parents and family members of the babies were seen running around screaming for help.
Angry family members of some infants alleged that instead of saving the children, the hospital staff fled, news agency PTI reported. A woman who was inside the hospital said the ward was enveloped in smoke.
What happened
Fatehgarh fire station in-charge Juber Khan told reporters that initial probe suggests that the fire was triggered by a short circuit. However, a detailed probe will establish what actually caused the blaze that started on the third floor of the hospital housing the ICU.
A total of 40 children were admitted to the SNCU. Of these, 36 were undergoing treatment in different wards. Kamla Nehru Children's Hospital is part of Hamidia Hospital, one of the biggest government medical facilities in Madhya Pradesh.
Ex-gratia announced
Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang said a short circuit may have caused the fire and described the situation inside the ward as 'very scary'. "Four children died in the fire that broke out in the special newborn care unit (SNCU) ward probably due to a short circuit," Sarang said.
"We reached the spot along with others soon after getting information about the incident. It was dark inside the ward.
We shifted the children to the adjacent ward," he said.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the family members of the victims, he added.
