Infant dead, two injured in fire at NICU in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara

Infant dead, two injured in fire at NICU in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara A fire erupted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a government district hospital in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, killing one infant and injuring two others, according to local officials. The incident occurred around 1.50 a.m. on Saturday, August 22, 2026, when a radiant warmer machine caught fire due to sparks generated in its filament coil. The affected infants were among 33 children in the outborn unit of the NICU, which houses newborns requiring specialized care. The hospital in-charge, Dr. Kanchan Dubey, confirmed that the three infants were placed on the same warmer and that the staff acted swiftly to save the remaining 30 children. Initially, the unaffected infants were relocated to another unit while technicians and electricians inspected the other machines. Once cleared, the children were returned to the NICU. Dr. Dubey described the incident as an accident and stated that there was no negligence on the part of the hospital staff. She added that the fire was quickly extinguished. Dr. Anshul Lamba, the district hospital's paediatrician, explained that the three infants were referred to the government medical college in Jabalpur for further treatment, as the hospital lacked a paediatric surgeon. He noted that the fire originated from a short circuit in the coil of the warmer machine, which produced sparks that ignited the oxygen tubing. Although the staff managed to remove the three children from the cradle within 15 seconds, the foam mattress contributed to their burn injuries. Chhindwara Collector Harendra Narayan Mishra confirmed that an investigation has been initiated and that the civil surgeon will examine the cause of the incident. He mentioned that the hospital administration had reported the machine underwent annual maintenance on August 10, during which no faults were found. However, following the tragedy, the maintenance agency in Bhopal has been notified, and its engineers will inspect the equipment shortly. The deceased infant was identified as a female child born with dextrocardia, a congenital condition where the heart is positioned on the right side of the chest. The other two injured infants were also born with severe conditions, one suffering from congenital diaphragmatic hernia, a surgical issue. According to Mr. Mishra, both of these children were stable as of the evening, having received initial treatment. The NICU at the district hospital reportedly housed a total of 63 infants, 30 in the inborn unit and 33 in the outborn unit. Due to limited resources, only 27 warmer machines were available, leading to the accommodation of two or three children per cradle. This situation, common in government hospitals, is attributed to high patient influx, particularly from rural and economically disadvantaged communities. Family members of the victims described the scene as chaotic, noting that the room became filled with smoke. Roopmal Ve, a relative of one of the injured infants, expressed concern over the overcrowding and lack of adequate facilities, highlighting the challenges faced by such institutions in providing optimal care under resource constraints. Authorities continue to await the findings of the ongoing investigation, which aims to determine whether the fire was preventable or if systemic issues in the hospital’s infrastructure played a role. Meanwhile, the surviving infants remain under observation, and efforts are underway to ensure they receive appropriate medical attention.