'My mother, brother were trapped': Jaipur hospital fire witnesses recount ordeal, say ‘smoke spread throughout ICU’
Eyewitnesses recounted chaos as smoke filled the ICU, hindering rescue efforts and leaving some patients unattended amidst the tragedy. A fire at Jaipur's SMS Hospital resulted in eight fatalities, prompting the Chief Minister to assure ongoing support for victims' families.
The witnesses recounted the painful and horrifying tragedy at the trauma centre of the state-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur where eight critical patients were killed in fire believed to have been caused by a suspected short-circuit on Sunday night. One of them shared his ordeal stating his “mother, brother were still trapped inside the hospital” despite police informing “everyone had been evacuated”.
“When there was a spark, there was a cylinder beside it. The smoke spread throughout the ICU, causing everyone to flee in panic. Some managed to rescue their own patients, but mine was left alone in the room. As the gas spread further, they shut the gates,” Puran Singh, a patient's kin said, according to ANI.
"There was a fire in the ICU, and I didn't even know. I had come downstairs to have dinner at the time. There wasn't even any equipment to douse the fire--no facilities were available. My mother was admitted there," another relative mentioned.
Om Prakash, whose 25-year-old maternal aunt's son was hospitalised described the ordeal, stating, “Smoke started spreading around 11:20 PM, and I warned the doctors that it could cause discomfort to patients. By the time the smoke intensified, the doctors and compounders had already fled. Only 4 to 5 patients were evacuated. Tragically, my maternal aunt's son lost his life due to the incident. He was about to recover and was scheduled to be discharged in two-three days.”
"My mother was admitted to the ICU. When the spark occurred, I alerted the doctors four to five times that it was coming from there, but they dismissed it as normal. Suddenly, smoke engulfed the area, and all the staff ran out, leaving no one to help or save my mother. I was outside when I asked the police, and they said everyone had been evacuated. However, my mother and brother were still trapped inside the hospital. Somehow, I managed to rescue my brother, but he is now in critical condition," Jogendra Singh, another relative voiced anger against staff for alleged negligence.
“We were inside the operating theatre when we heard about the fire, so we immediately rushed to rescue the people inside the centre. We managed to save at least three to four patients. However, as the flames intensified, we could no longer go into the building. We did our best to rescue as many as we could,” PTI quoted Vikas, a ward boy, who was at the spot, as saying.
He mentioned that the police arrived shortly after, but were unable to enter the building right away because of the thick smoke. When the fire brigade got there, the whole ward was filled with smoke. The firefighters had to break a window on the far side of the building to begin putting out the fire.
CM Bhajanlal Sharma reacts
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma called the incident “extremely unfortunate”.
He said, “Upon reaching the hospital, I gathered information from the doctors and officials and issued instructions to ensure swift relief efforts. Every possible step is being taken for the safety of patients, their treatment, and the care of those affected, and the situation is being continuously monitored. May Lord Shri Ram grant place at His divine feet to the departed souls. The state government stands with the affected families and is committed to providing them every possible assistance.”
(With inputs from agencies)