RIMS Adilabad fire: 3 newborns dead, 2 critical
Following Monday’s late night blaze that broke out at the special newborn care unit (SNCU) of RIMS, the two babies — both girls and aged one day and 10 days — were critical. Hyderabad: The death toll in the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Adilabad, fire rose to five on Wednesday after two more premature infants died while undergoing treatment.
Three infants admitted to the SNCU had died earlier following the fire, which broke out around 11.40pm on Monday when 27 newborns and their attendants were present in the unit. The Telangana govt, on Wednesday, announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the affected families. The 22 other infants rescued from the fire, suspected to have started due to a short circuit in a window air-conditioning unit, are also undergoing treatment and are under continuous monitoring at nearby private facilities, according to hospital sources.
Chief minister A Revanth Reddy also formed a committee to conduct an inquiry into the fire and announced electrical, fire and structural safety audits at RIMS.
The unit soon became dark as the power and oxygen supply were disrupted, while two other ACs also caught fire,” said a health official. The preliminary cause of death is suspected to be smoke inhalation, with thick smoke and toxic fumes causing severe breathing difficulty and asphyxia. Officials suspected that the ward quickly filled with smoke after plastic components of the AC caught fire. The exact cause of the fire, however, is yet to be established. “There was thick smoke inside the SNCU, with the closed glass door allowing little ventilation. Two to three infants were on a single bed, and some suffered burns. Announcing the compensation, health minister Damodar Rajanarsimha reviewed the condition of the children undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Adilabad. He directed officials to shift any child requiring advanced care to bigger hospitals in Hyderabad.
Hospital sources said both babies died late on Tuesday night.