Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 24: Three newborn babies died after a massive fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Amravati District Women's Hospital in Maharashtra early Monday, officials said.

The fire broke out at around 3.30 am on the third floor of the hospital, where 39 newborn babies were undergoing treatment. Preliminary reports said the blaze may have started following an explosion in a ventilator, though the exact cause is yet to be established.

Doctors, nurses and other hospital staff on duty immediately launched a rescue operation after the fire was detected. They disconnected medical equipment and rushed to evacuate the newborns from the affected ward.

Several infants were rescued from the NICU. Six newborns who were seriously affected were shifted to a nearby super-speciality hospital for further treatment.

Despite the rescue efforts, three newborns died in the incident. Reports said the babies died after suffering burns and smoke inhalation.

The fire caused panic in the hospital as staff worked to move the vulnerable infants to safety. The hospital's NICU had three rooms housing the newborns at the time of the incident.

The cause of the suspected ventilator explosion and the subsequent fire is yet to be ascertained. Authorities are expected to examine the medical equipment and other possible factors as part of the investigation.

The incident has also raised concerns over fire safety and emergency preparedness in hospital intensive-care units, particularly those treating newborn babies.