A tragic fire at the trauma center of Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur resulted in the deaths of at least six critically ill patients late Sunday night, leading to accusations of negligence from grieving families. Dr. Anurag Dhakad, who manages the Trauma Centre, reported that eleven patients were being treated in the Neuro ICU when flames broke out in the storage area. Fourteen other patients in a different ICU were safely moved to secure locations, according to Dhakad. He suggested that an electrical short circuit was likely the cause of the fire. The deceased were identified as Pintu from Sikar, Dilip from Andhi in Jaipur, Shrinath, Rukmini, and Khurma, all from Bharatpur, and Bahadur from Sanganer in Jaipur.
The incident caused panic within the hospital as smoke rapidly filled the entire floor, alarming patients and their families. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham, visited the trauma center to assess the situation. Upon their arrival, relatives of two patients accused the medical staff of abandoning their duties during the fire. They expressed frustration over the lack of updates from hospital administration regarding their loved ones. One attendant recounted that they saw smoke and alerted staff, but their warnings were ignored. When the flames broke out, it was reported that staff were among the first to evacuate, leaving families without information about their patients.
Following this, Chief Minister Sharma met with medical staff and patients. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed condolences to the grieving families, labeling the ICU fire that led to seven fatalities as a deeply tragic event. He prayed for minimal loss of life and for the swift recovery of those injured, while urging the state government to conduct a thorough high-level inquiry into the incident.