Man Who Lost Mother In Jaipur Fire Tragedy Recounts Horror: 'Had Come Down For Dinner'

A fire reportedly triggered by a short circuit broke out at the trauma centre Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital on Sunday night (Oct. 5). The blaze quickly spread across the second floor, resulting in toxic gases spreading, news agency ANI reported, citing trauma centre in-charge Anurag Dhakad.

The second floor houses two ICUs. One is a trauma ICU that had 11 patients and an adjacent semi-ICU, which accommodated 13 patients. Eight patients lost their lives in the incident. Families of the victims have claimed that insufficient resources and delayed action hampered efforts to control the blaze, NDTV reported.

Relatives shared harrowing accounts of the fire. Narendra Singh, whose mother was admitted in the ICU, told ANI, “There was a fire in the ICU, and I didn't even know. I had come downstairs to have dinner at the time. There wasn't even any equipment to douse the fire, no facilities were available. My mother was admitted there.” By the time he became aware of the fire, his mother had died.

Joginder Singh, whose mother was also in the ICU, said they were initially told the short circuit would “settle down.” As plastic began to melt and fall, doctors started moving beds, but when the smoke thickened, “the hospital staff fled,” he said. “My older brother somehow went inside to save our mother.”

Others recounted how thick and toxic smoke spread quickly. Puran Singh, whose relative was in the ICU, said a spark near a cylinder caused the smoke to engulf the area. “The smoke spread throughout the ICU, causing everyone to flee in panic. Some managed to rescue their own patients, but mine was left alone in the room,” Singh said, adding that as the gas continued to spread, the ICU gates were shut.

Om Prakash recounted losing his 25-year-old cousin, who was about to be discharged, saying, “By the time the smoke intensified, the doctors and compounders had already fled.”

Ranjit Singh Rathore, whose brother was admitted to the ICU, said that as he rushed to the hospital after hearing about the fire, he was initially not allowed inside. After some time, he managed to enter, but found his brother had died by then.

Trauma centre in-charge Dhakad refuted the claims of negligence. Speaking to NDTV, he said the rapid spread of smoke and toxic gases made entry difficult. “We used a fire extinguisher and called the fire brigade. Eight of the patients died of burns and suffocation. We will have more clarity following a post-mortem,” he said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma visited the hospital late Sunday. In a post on X, he said the incident was “deeply saddening.”

As per the NDTV report, bodies of the victims will be handed over to families following post-mortem.