Fire at India hospital intensive care unit kills 10 people

Fire in the city of Cuttack likely caused by a short circuit, which is common in India due to poorly maintained wiring.

At least 10 people have been killed in a fire that broke out ‌in the trauma care unit of a hospital in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, officials say.

The fire, which started early on Monday on the first floor of the SCB Medical College and Hospital in the city of Cuttack, was likely caused by a short circuit, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ‌told ⁠reporters after visiting the hospital.

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At least 11 staff members suffered burns as they tried to save patients.

“Medical staff and security personnel ⁠risked their lives in rescuing the patients,” Majhi said. “During this, they too sustained ⁠injuries, and they too are under treatment.”

The chief minister added that he had ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident and said strict action would be taken against anyone found responsible.

Twenty-three patients had been receiving medical care in the intensive care unit and 10 of them died ⁠while being shifted to a safer area away from the fire. Five people were critically wounded, but ⁠it was not clear if it was from the fire or earlier injuries.

[Al Jazeera]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “deeply painful” in a post on social media and offered his condolences to the families of the victims.

He also announced compensation of $2,160 to affected families.

Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and a routine disregard for safety regulations. Electrical short circuits, often caused by poorly maintained wiring, remain the leading cause of fires.

In 2024, a fire at a private hospital in the southern state of Tamil Nadu killed at least six people and injured more than two dozen.

The same year, 10 newborns were killed when a fire engulfed a hospital in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. At least 24 people, including many children, also died in a fire that broke out at a family entertainment venue in the western Indian state of Gujarat.