Two more infants died taking the death toll from the fire that broke out at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) to five.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The death toll from the fire at the Special Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU) of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Telangana’s Adilabad district has risen to five, with two more infants dying on Tuesday (September 22, 2026) night.
The two infants were premature babies, born between 26 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, and weighed around one kilogram each, said Adilabad District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Sadhana.
The fire broke out around 11.40 p.m. on September 21 after an air conditioner in the reception area of the SNCU burst into flames. A five-day-old infant died in the incident, while another four-day-old infant died a few hours later. A third female infant was declared dead while being shifted to a nearby hospital.
As many as 25 infants were rescued from the SNCU following the fire and shifted to various government and private hospitals in the vicinity. They are undergoing treatment and are being monitored by medical teams.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has ordered an inquiry into the incident to determine the circumstances that led to the fire. Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha visited RIMS Adilabad on Tuesday and met the families of the affected infants. He assured them of the government’s support and reviewed the condition of the infants who were shifted to other hospitals.
The Minister also sought updates from doctors on the health of the rescued infants and directed them to provide the best possible medical care and closely monitor their condition.
Published – September 23, 2026 12:57 pm IST
