A fire erupted in the maternity ward of Kamla Raja Hospital in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, late Saturday night due to an electrical short circuit, officials said. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, and all patients were safely evacuated.
The incident led to the transfer of approximately 150 patients from the hospital, including those in the maternity ward, to the nearby Super Specialty Hospital. Two fire tenders were quickly deployed to the scene and successfully brought the blaze under control.
“There were around 22-23 patients in the affected section. As soon as the fire broke out, they were evacuated, but the smoke spread throughout the hospital. All patients have now been shifted to the Super Specialty Hospital,” said Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vinod Singh, adding that medical staff were monitoring patients for possible smoke inhalation effects.
Fire officer Atibal Singh Yadav from the Gwalior Municipal Corporation confirmed that emergency response teams acted swiftly. “We received an alert about the fire and immediately informed six fire stations. Two fire tenders arrived promptly and managed to control the blaze,” Yadav said.
Eyewitnesses recounted tense moments during the evacuation, with one attendant breaking a window glass to help release smoke and assist in rescuing patients. “Around 1:30-2 AM, we heard doctors and others shouting about a fire. We saw patients trapped inside, so we used an oxygen cylinder to break the window and help with the evacuation,” an eyewitness told ANI.
Dr. Rita Mishra, Assistant Superintendent at the Super Specialty Hospital, described the chaos and urgency of the situation. “I got a call from a doctor about the fire, and we rushed to the hospital, mobilizing supervisors and cleaning staff. There was a lot of smoke everywhere, but Dr. Archana guided efforts to ventilate the area,” she said.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the short circuit, and hospital operations are expected to resume after safety assessments.
