At least 10 patients killed in fire at Indian hospital

2026-03-16 - 11:43

NEW DELHI — At least 10 people were killed in a fire that broke out ‌in the trauma care unit of a hospital in the eastern Indian state of Odisha on Monday, officials said. The fire started in the trauma care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack city around 02:30 local time on Monday (21:00 GMT Sunday). Five people were critically wounded, but ⁠it was not clear if it was from the fire or earlier injuries. The fire was likely to have been caused by a short circuit in the trauma center in the early hours of Monday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi ‌told ⁠reporters after visiting the hospital. All the victims were patients, while 11 hospital staff are being treated for burns suffered while trying to rescue patients, Majhi said. At least 23 patients were under treatment in the intensive care unit and 10 of them died ⁠while being shifted to a safer area away from the fire. "Medical staff and security personnel ⁠risked their lives in rescuing the patients; during this, they too sustained ⁠injuries, and they too are under treatment," Majhi said. Hospital fires are often reported in India, with many of the blazes being attributed to electrical faults. Last October, six critically ill patients were killed in an ICU fire in Rajasthan state. In Odisha, the blaze was brought under control after fire service personnel rushed to the hospital. Patients were moved to other departments inside the same hospital, officials said. SCB Medical College and Hospital is one of the largest government-run medical facilities in Odisha. The state government has announced financial compensation for the families of the victims. Majhi said he has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident and said strict action would be taken against anyone found responsible. — Agencies