9 Newborns Evacuated As Fire Breaks Out In Private Hospital In Maharashtra

Nine newborns were shifted after a fire broke out in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) of a private hospital in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in the early hours of Friday, the hospital administration said.

The incident occurred at Asian Hospital located in the Jalna Road area of the city in the state's Marathwada region, officials said.

Nine babies, in need of intensive or specialised medical care, were in the NICU when the staff noticed smoke coming out of an AC unit, said Dr Shoeb Hashmi, who runs the hospital.

"It was a small incident, and nothing untoward happened. As a precaution, our team evacuated the infants along with the patients in the neighbouring general ward," he said. The general ward patients were brought back later, he said.

The doctor said that the newborns were shifted to other hospitals with the consent of their families.

"The hospital team took immediate action and brought the situation under control. There were injuries in the incident. The hospital has been cleaned and is functioning as per its routine," he said.

When contacted, the in-charge officer at Jawaharnagar police station said, "A fire incident was reported to us. There were no injuries or casualties in the incident." About ten days ago, three newborns died, and 36 were rescued after a devastating fire broke out in the NICU of the District Women's Hospital in Amravati in the neighbouring Vidarbha region, prompting the state government to order a high-level inquiry into the tragedy.

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