Short Circuit Suspected as Fire Claims Six Lives in Jaipur’s SMS Hospital Trauma Ward

A routine Sunday evening at Rajasthan's largest government medical hospital, Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, turned into a nightmare and horror story as a series of fires engulfed the hospital's Trauma ICU killing six and injuring five others. The tragedy has sparked outrage in all directions, with family members of victims leveling charges of gross negligence and fire safety unpreparedness in one of the state's most key hospitals.

The Timeline: How the Tragedy Unfolded

The officials say the fire originated at about 11:15 p.m. on Sunday in the Trauma ICU of the second floor of the trauma centre hospital. At that time, 24 patients were admitted into the hospital — 11 in the trauma ICU and 13 in the nearby semi-ICU.

Within minutes, thick poisonous fumes filled the ward, panicking patients, attendants, and hospital staff. Preliminary reports suggest that the fire originated due to a short circuit near medical equipment, though the Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph reported that the cause will be determined only after a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) investigation.

"It appears like a short circuit at first, but the final cause will only be ascertained after the FSL report," Joseph told the media.

Inside the ICU: "We Tried to Save Them, But They Couldn't Be Revived"

Dr Anurag Dhakad, In-charge of Trauma Centre, described the terrifying moment when smoke filled the ICU. "The fire broke out in the trauma ICU and spread quickly, releasing toxic gases. Most of the patients there were unconscious," he told ANI.

Dhakad mentioned that the staff quickly initiated rescue efforts. "Our nursing officers and ward boys came running with trolleys to evacuate as many patients as possible. We managed to evacuate all 24 from the ICU. Six of them were too critical — we tried everything with CPR to resuscitate them, but they couldn't be saved.".

Among them were two women and four men. Five more remain critical, struggling to survive in other wards of the hospital.

Scenes of Desperation: Eyewitness Accounts

As firefighters battled to put out the fire, patients' relatives outside the hospital described a nightmare scene of smoke, terror, and chaos. The majority accuse the hospital staff of evacuating, leaving the patients behind.

"Whenever the spark occurred, there was one cylinder around. There was smoke all around and people started running. Some of them ran with their own patients, but my relative was left behind. When the gas filled the area, the gates were shut," said Puran Singh, whose relative was inside the ICU.

Narendra Singh, another on-duty attendant, faulted the hospital for being completely unprepared. "There wasn't even any device to put out the fire — no extinguishers, no safety measures. My mother was admitted there. I was downstairs eating dinner when this happened," he said.

Om Prakash, who lost his 25-year-old cousin, said he had warned the doctors seconds before the tragedy. "Around 11:20 p.m., I informed them the smoke was getting thicker. By then it had got worse and the staff had already fled. Four or five patients were rescued only. My cousin was recovering and was to be discharged in two days — he did not deserve this."

Another witness, Jogendra Singh, claimed constant warnings were not heeded. "I told the doctors four or five times there were sparks, but they just brushed it aside. When smoke came into the ICU, everyone fled. My mother and brother were left behind. I was able to usher out my brother, but my mother was killed."

Fire Response and Damage Assessment

Firefighters arrived shortly after being notified, and they were able to contain the fire within an hour. Rescue efforts continued overnight as crews combed the hazy hallways for patients trapped beneath.

An investigation into the compliance of the hospital regarding fire safety has been initiated by authorities, with sources reporting that fire alarms and suppression systems were either out of commission or slow to react.

Hospital administration authorities said the trauma ICU suffered extensive damage due to the smoke, with the medical equipment and oxygen supply units totally gutted.

CM Takes Stock, Probe Ordered

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma had rushed to the hospital soon after the tragedy struck to take stock of the situation. He had met the top officials and relatives of the victims, assuring that a high-level probe would determine responsibility.

"AID: Government stands with the affected families. Legal action will be initiated rigorously if negligence is found," Sharma said in a release.

The Larger Picture: A Pattern of Hospital Fires

This is not the first case of a fire in an Indian hospital revealing fatal safety lapses. Over the past few years, there have been various such incidents — from Ahmedabad (2020) to Jabalpur (2022) — that have cost lives of patients, typically those too ill to move independently.

Poor infrastructure, short circuits, and inadequate evacuation planning have been the most common culprits in all three cases. Despite repeated directions from the government, a number of big public hospitals along with dozens of others still lack functioning fire suppression systems or regular safety checks.

The Aftermath: Grief, Anger, and Unanswered Questions

As the break of dawn arrived over Jaipur, the Trauma Centre of SMS Hospital was a grim reminder of systemic neglect. Relatives sobbed outside the mortuary, clutching medical records and the final belongings of their kin.

To them, tragedy was not an accident — but a failure that could have been prevented. "If alarms worked and laborers hadn't run away, possibly my brother would have survived," said Ranjit Singh Rathore, who lost his brother in the fire.

With each investigation that unfolds, the question remains: how many hospitals must burn before safety is placed at the top, and not as an afterthought?

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