No Fire Audit Lapse In Maharashtra Hospital Where 3 Newborns Died: Official

The District Women's Hospital in Maharashtra's Amravati had undergone regular fire audits and had also applied for this year's audit, Amravati District Magistrate said on Monday after a fire in the hospital claimed the lives of three newborns. 

The fire broke out at around 3:15 am in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on the third floor of the District Women's Hospital. A ventilator reportedly sparked and triggered the fire. Three newborns died in the incident, while 36 other children were rescued unharmed.

Rejecting suggestions that mandatory fire safety checks had been skipped, the administration said the investigation is now focused on the equipment suspected to have triggered the fire.

Addressing questions over the hospital's fire safety compliance, Ashish Yerekar said records showed that audits had been conducted regularly and that the hospital had already applied for a fresh audit with the Public Works Department's electrical wing.

"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," Yerekar said.

He added, "Our main issue here is the equipment, specifically the unit that triggered the automatic alert, and we need to examine what fault lies within it. We have already initiated our investigation, and if any administrative lapse comes to light, no one will be spared. We will fix accountability for everyone involved. However, if there is a fault in the company's equipment, we will take strict action against the company as well."

Devendra Fadnavis Announces Probe, Compensation

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the deaths and described the incident as "extremely heart-wrenching". He announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the victims and ordered a high-level inquiry into the tragedy.

"The incident of the death of three children in the fire that broke out last night at the District Women's Hospital in Amravati is extremely tragic and heart-wrenching. We share in the grief of their families. Orders have been issued to the health administration to conduct a high-level inquiry into this incident. The strictest possible action will be taken against those responsible for this incident. Both the Health Minister and the Secretary have been instructed to visit Amravati today itself," Fadnavis said.

अमरावती येथील जिल्हा स्त्री रुग्णालयात काल रात्री लागलेल्या आगीत तीन बालकांचा मृत्यू झाल्याची घटना अतिशय दुःखद आणि हृदयद्रावक आहे. त्यांच्या कुटुंबियांच्या दुःखात आम्ही सहभागी आहोत.
या घटनेची उच्चस्तरीय चौकशी करण्याचे आदेश आरोग्य प्रशासनाला देण्यात आले आहेत. या घटनेतील दोषींवर…

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) August 24, 2026

The chief minister said the inquiry would determine responsibility for the incident and that those found accountable would face action.

"The state government will provide financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees to the families of the deceased. Instructions have also been given to the Amravati District Collector to provide treatment to the injured children at government expense. Fortunately, 36 children were successfully rescued unharmed in this incident," the chief minister said.

Families Allege Safety System Failure

While officials are examining whether a fault in the equipment sparked the fire, relatives of some children admitted to the hospital claimed that the ward's water spray system did not function when the fire broke out.

According to them, the system should have been activated automatically as soon as the fire started. The allegations are likely to form part of the ongoing investigation into the incident.

Family members said they did not know the exact cause of the fire but described scenes of panic as flames spread through the ward and parents rushed to save their children.

Several relatives also blamed the hospital administration for the tragedy and demanded accountability.

Parent Recalls Rescue Amid Chaos

Among those who witnessed the incident was Yogesh Savarkar, a resident of Achalpur in Amravati. His wife and eight-day-old child were admitted to the hospital, while he was sleeping outside the building when the fire broke out.

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 the first to reach the spot and begin rescue efforts. He also saw a nurse helping evacuate children during the emergency.

(With inputs from agencies)