Caught on CCTV: Maharashtra hospital staff race to save newborns amid fire

The fire broke out at around 2.45 am on the first floor of the hospital. Preliminary information suggests that the blaze started following a short circuit in the air conditioner of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

In Short

• The blaze erupted around 2.45 am on the hospital's first floor
• Officials suspect the air-conditioner suffered a short circuit
• Ambulances shifted nine newborns across three hospitals after the evacuation

A fire broke out at Asian Hospital in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in the early hours of Friday, triggering panic among patients and hospital staff. All 58 patients admitted to the affected floor were evacuated safely, and no casualties were reported.

The fire broke out at around 2.45 am on the first floor of the hospital. Preliminary information suggests that the blaze started following a short circuit in the air conditioner of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

At the time, the floor housed 58 patients, including nine newborns in the NICU, 36 patients in the general ward and 13 in special rooms.

CCTV footage from the hospital captured staff members swiftly moving newborn babies out of the Pediatric/Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PICU/NICU) after smoke was detected. The footage showed employees carrying the vulnerable newborns to safety as the emergency response got underway.

Hospital staff, local police and fire brigade teams responded to the incident, with two fire tenders being rushed to the spot. The hospital administration said its fire safety system and the alertness of employees helped contain the blaze to a large extent before the fire brigade arrived.

ALL 58 PATIENTS EVACUATED

Several ambulances were deployed to move patients out of the building. All 58 patients were safely evacuated from the affected floor.

Of the nine newborns in the NICU, five were shifted to Ghati Government Medical College and Hospital, three were moved to MGM Hospital, and one was taken to Sanjeevani Hospital.

No deaths or injuries have been reported in connection with the incident.

FIRE SAFETY TRAINING HELPED STAFF RESPOND QUICKLY

Asian Hospital Managing Director Shoaib Hashmi said the hospital staff had been trained in fire safety procedures, which helped them respond quickly after the smoke was detected.

Hashmi said employees immediately followed the emergency procedures and worked to bring the situation under control. He added that the incident could have had more serious consequences if the blaze had not been contained in time.

Meanwhile, the hospital administration is sending documents related to its fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the municipal corporation.

Police personnel have also been deployed outside the hospital as a precautionary measure. Hospital services have since resumed, according to the administration.

A video showing the fire has also surfaced on social media and is being widely circulated.

- Ends