The state-run Sawai Man Singh Hospital's (SMS) trauma centre in Jaipur caught fire on late Sunday night, claiming the lives of eight patients. According to the relatives of the deceased, the hospital staff's negligence led to the deaths, causing outrage.
The fire was reportedly triggered by a short circuit that started in the Trauma ICU on the second floor of the hospital's Trauma Centre. There were 11 patients admitted to the trauma ICU, and 13 in the semi-ICU ward during that time. Thick smoke engulfed the entire ward with the release of toxic gases, causing panic everywhere.
Most of the admitted patients in the trauma ICU were comatose, which reveals the urgency of the situation, underlining lapses in security and rescue efforts. Six patients are still in critical condition.
Family and relatives recount harrowing experienceSharing their horrifying experience of the night, relatives state that they had to evacuate the patients. One of the relatives, Puran Singh, told news agency ANI, "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."
Narendra Singh, relative of another patient, added, "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 here.
#WATCH | SMS Hospital fire, Jaipur | "... The ICU caught fire. There was no equipment to extinguish it. There were no cylinders or even water to douse the fire. There were no facilities. My mother passed away...," says a person who lost a family member in the fire at Jaipur's… pic.twitter.com/BCV2Sa9jMT
— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2025
Om Prakash, whose 25-year-old brother (maternal aunt's son) was admitted to the hospital, stated, "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 4-5 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 to three days."
Jogendra Singh, whose mother and brother were trapped in the fire, recounted, "My mother was admitted to the ICU. When the spark occurred, I alerted the doctors four to five times that it was coming from here, but they dismissed it as normal. Suddenly, smoke engulfed the area, and all the staff ran out, leaving no one to ave 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."
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma visited the hospital to review the situation.