At least 10 patients died and 11 hospital staff members suffered burn injuries after a fire broke out in the trauma care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha early Monday (Mar 16). The injured staff members sustained burns while evacuating patients from the intensive care unit. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has rushed to the hospital to assess the situation, officials added.&nbsp;Multiple fire engines were deployed at the site as rescue and firefighting operations continued. According to eyewitnesses, the blaze broke out between 2:30 am and 3:00 am. While the exact cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, officials suspect a possible short circuit may have triggered the incident. Fire brigade teams managed to control the flames soon after reaching the hospital. However, officials said several patients who were on ventilator support in the ICU reportedly died due to suffocation during the incident. Authorities are yet to officially confirm the final death toll.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs. 50,000 for the injured.After visiting the hospital, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi stated that the fire was likely triggered by a short circuit. Speaking to the media, he said that a judicial inquiry has been ordered into the incident. “...The fire broke out probably due to a short circuit. 23 patients were under treatment at the trauma ICU, the ICU adjacent to that, and the ward on the first floor. Seven of them died in the fire. They were all shifted after which three more died...Medical staff and security personnel risked their life in rescuing the patients; during this, they too sustained injuries, and they too are under treatment. I am directing a judicial inquiry into the incident. Strict action will be taken against anyone found responsible for the incident. Patients are under treatment in another ICU...”<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260316/image-1773638798506.png"></figure>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

A fire in the trauma ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha killed at least 10 patients and injured 11 staff members during evacuation. Fire engines rushed to the spot and controlled the blaze.  Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi visited the site.

At least 10 patients died and 11 hospital staff members suffered burn injuries after a fire broke out in the trauma care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha early Monday (Mar 16). The injured staff members sustained burns while evacuating patients from the intensive care unit. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has rushed to the hospital to assess the situation, officials added. Multiple fire engines were deployed at the site as rescue and firefighting operations continued. According to eyewitnesses, the blaze broke out between 2:30 am and 3:00 am. While the exact cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, officials suspect a possible short circuit may have triggered the incident. Fire brigade teams managed to control the flames soon after reaching the hospital. However, officials said several patients who were on ventilator support in the ICU reportedly died due to suffocation during the incident. Authorities are yet to officially confirm the final death toll.

A fire in the trauma ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha killed at least 10 patients and injured 11 staff members during evacuation. Fire engines rushed to the spot and controlled the blaze. &nbsp;Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi visited the site.

At least 10 patients dead after fire breaks out in hospital in Odisha's Cuttack

The death toll due to a massive fire at a hospital in Eastern Indian state of Odisha reached 21 on Wednesday, with two more critical patients succumbing to injuries. 
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On Monday, at least 19 people were killed and several injured after a fire broke out at the ICU and the dialysis unit of the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, situated in the capital city of Odisha, Bhubaneswar. Within minutes, the smoke engulfed the entire ICU and dialysis unit making evacuation of patients difficult. 
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As many as 40 others including patients and their visiting relatives were shifted to the nearby private hospitals for treatment. 
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The Union Health Minister, Government of India, J P Nadda visited the fire-ravaged hospital and the injured patients undergoing treatment. 
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The minister observed that there were some serious lapses in safety measures taken by the hospital. 
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&ldquo;It is really very saddening, shocking and painful also. I have found some lapses in safety issues there which need to be addressed. We see some protocol breach. Inquiry report will come soon. State government should see punitive action taken,&rdquo; said Nadda, adding, &ldquo;A fresh advisory will be given to all the states so that such incidents do not take place in future.&rdquo; 
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On the same day, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took cognisance of matter and has sought a report from the Odisha government within six weeks.

On Tuesday as many as four officials of the hospital were arrested on charges of criminal negligence, including culpable homicide, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and negligence with regard to fire safety.

The arrested include the hospital&rsquo;s medical superintendent Pusparaj Samantasinghar, ex-executive engineer Amulya Kumar Sahu, fire safety officer Santosh Das and retired junior engineer Malay Kumar Sahu. 
&nbsp; 
According to sources, the hospital where the fire broke out had been warned for not having proper fire fighting equipments in place in 2013, but the hospital authorities ignored it. 
&nbsp; 
A similar incident in yet another eastern Indian state of West Bengal had occurred in 2011, where a fire in the AMRI hospital claimed as many as 90 lives. 
&nbsp; 
Later, a commission was set up, headed by retired Justice of Calcutta High Court, Tapan Mukherjee and the commission came up with certain recommendations that all the existing and new hospitals across West Bengal had to comply with to get a clearance from the Fire and Emergency Services Department and Health Department. 
&nbsp; 
The recommendations mentioned that each hospital will have a trained fire fighting team to be presided by a retired official of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The team will have to practise for mock drills from time to time. 
&nbsp; 
Another recommendation mentioned that each hospital will have dedicated Emergency Evacuation Shoot, which will only be used in case of any emergency. The shoot will inflate and allow patients to roll down from the roof. 
&nbsp; 
This apart, the AC ducts will have to have a mechanism, where the air-circulation will stop once it detects black smoke, preventing movement of any kind of smoke entering the other floors. 
&nbsp; 
Besides this, hospitals will not be allowed to store anything in their basement floor or convert it into a godown. 
&nbsp; 
Tragically, those rules and recommendations from the Kolkata hospital fire seemed to be buried under the ashes on Monday, when another fire at Bhubaneshwar&rsquo;s hospital claimed 21 lives. 
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(with agency inputs)

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Two more patients who were critical succumbed to their injuries

The death toll due to a massive fire at a hospital in Eastern Indian state of Odisha reached 21 on Wednesday, with two more critical patients succumbing to injuries. On Monday, at least 19 people were killed and several injured after a fire broke out at the ICU and the dialysis unit of the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, situated in the capital city of Odisha, Bhubaneswar. Within minutes, the smoke engulfed the entire ICU and dialysis unit making evacuation of patients difficult. As many as 40 others including patients and their visiting relatives were shifted to the nearby private hospitals for treatment. The Union Health Minister, Government of India, J P Nadda visited the fire-ravaged hospital and the injured patients undergoing treatment. The minister observed that there were some serious lapses in safety measures taken by the hospital. “It is really very saddening, shocking and painful also. I have found some lapses in safety issues there which need to be addressed. We see some protocol breach. Inquiry report will come soon. State government should see punitive action taken,” said Nadda, adding, “A fresh advisory will be given to all the states so that such incidents do not take place in future.” On the same day, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took cognisance of matter and has sought a report from the Odisha government within six weeks. On Tuesday as many as four officials of the hospital were arrested on charges of criminal negligence, including culpable homicide, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and negligence with regard to fire safety. The arrested include the hospital’s medical superintendent Pusparaj Samantasinghar, ex-executive engineer Amulya Kumar Sahu, fire safety officer Santosh Das and retired junior engineer Malay Kumar Sahu. According to sources, the hospital where the fire broke out had been warned for not having proper fire fighting equipments in place in 2013, but the hospital authorities ignored it. A similar incident in yet another eastern Indian state of West Bengal had occurred in 2011, where a fire in the AMRI hospital claimed as many as 90 lives. Later, a commission was set up, headed by retired Justice of Calcutta High Court, Tapan Mukherjee and the commission came up with certain recommendations that all the existing and new hospitals across West Bengal had to comply with to get a clearance from the Fire and Emergency Services Department and Health Department. The recommendations mentioned that each hospital will have a trained fire fighting team to be presided by a retired official of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The team will have to practise for mock drills from time to time. Another recommendation mentioned that each hospital will have dedicated Emergency Evacuation Shoot, which will only be used in case of any emergency. The shoot will inflate and allow patients to roll down from the roof. This apart, the AC ducts will have to have a mechanism, where the air-circulation will stop once it detects black smoke, preventing movement of any kind of smoke entering the other floors. Besides this, hospitals will not be allowed to store anything in their basement floor or convert it into a godown. Tragically, those rules and recommendations from the Kolkata hospital fire seemed to be buried under the ashes on Monday, when another fire at Bhubaneshwar’s hospital claimed 21 lives. (with agency inputs)

India hospital fire: Death toll reaches 21

The toll in the Sum Hospital fire in the east Indian state of Odisha rose to 21 today with the death of a patient who was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here.

The deceased, identified as Janakibla Hui, had been shifted to AIIMS soon after the devastating fire ravaged the private medical facility on Monday evening, a spokesman of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar said.

A preliminary investigation had revealed that the fire was caused due to a short circuit in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which later spread to rest of the hospital.&nbsp;

The woman had earlier been admitted to Sum Hospital reportedly with lung cancer, he said adding she had been shifted to AIIMS in a critical condition.

Most of the victims, who were on ventilator support, perished because of asphyxiation as a thick layer of smoke had enveloped vast areas of Sum Hospital after the fire broke out.

Out of the 21 deaths recorded so far, 14 cases were reported in the Capital Hospital, five at AMRI Hospital and two in AIIMS, officials said.

As many as 106 patients have been shifted from the fire-hit private hospital to different places including Capital Hospital, AIIMS, AMRI Hospital, Kalinga Hospital, KIIMS and Hitech Hospital in Bhubaneswar, while some were sent to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

(PTI)

Most of the victims were on ventilator support, they died of asphyxiation after a thick layer of smoke enveloped the hospital

The toll in the Sum Hospital fire in the east Indian state of Odisha rose to 21 today with the death of a patient who was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here. The deceased, identified as Janakibla Hui, had been shifted to AIIMS soon after the devastating fire ravaged the private medical facility on Monday evening, a spokesman of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar said. A preliminary investigation had revealed that the fire was caused due to a short circuit in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which later spread to rest of the hospital. The woman had earlier been admitted to Sum Hospital reportedly with lung cancer, he said adding she had been shifted to AIIMS in a critical condition. Most of the victims, who were on ventilator support, perished because of asphyxiation as a thick layer of smoke had enveloped vast areas of Sum Hospital after the fire broke out. Out of the 21 deaths recorded so far, 14 cases were reported in the Capital Hospital, five at AMRI Hospital and two in AIIMS, officials said. As many as 106 patients have been shifted from the fire-hit private hospital to different places including Capital Hospital, AIIMS, AMRI Hospital, Kalinga Hospital, KIIMS and Hitech Hospital in Bhubaneswar, while some were sent to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. (PTI)

India: Death toll in Odisha hospital fire rises to 21

At least 19 people were killed and several injured after a fire broke out at a hospital in eastern India&#39;s state of Odisha.

The fire broke out at the ICU and the dialysis unit of the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, situated in the capital city of Odisha, Bhubaneswar.

Preliminary examination revealed that the fire broke out due to a short circuit at the ICU unit and quickly spread to the adjacent dialysis unit.

Within minutes, the smoke engulfed the entire ICU and dialysis unit making evacuation of patients difficult.

As many as 40 others including patients and their visiting relatives have been shifted to the nearby private hospitals where they are undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express condolences to the families of the deceased.&nbsp;

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Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in the hospital fire in Odisha. The tragedy is mind-numbing. My thoughts are with bereaved families.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/788069586285498368">October 17, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The Prime Minister even spoke to J P Nadda, Health Minister, Government of India asking him to ensure proper treatment to the injured.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Spoke to Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/JPNadda">@JPNadda</a> &amp; asked him to facilitate transfer of all those injured to AIIMS. Hope the injured recover quickly.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/788069862589562880">October 17, 2016</a></blockquote>
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All the critically ill patients will be flown in to New Delhi through as many as 10 air ambulances for treatment.

On the other hand, the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, declared that the state government would bear all cost of treatment of the injured patients.

The state government has also formed a committee to probe into the incident.

(WION)

The fire broke out due to a short circuit at the ICU unit and quickly spread to the adjacent dialysis unit

At least 19 people were killed and several injured after a fire broke out at a hospital in eastern India's state of Odisha. The fire broke out at the ICU and the dialysis unit of the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, situated in the capital city of Odisha, Bhubaneswar. Preliminary examination revealed that the fire broke out due to a short circuit at the ICU unit and quickly spread to the adjacent dialysis unit. Within minutes, the smoke engulfed the entire ICU and dialysis unit making evacuation of patients difficult. As many as 40 others including patients and their visiting relatives have been shifted to the nearby private hospitals where they are undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express condolences to the families of the deceased. Deeply anguished by the loss of lives in the hospital fire in Odisha. The tragedy is mind-numbing. My thoughts are with bereaved families. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 17, 2016 × The Prime Minister even spoke to J P Nadda, Health Minister, Government of India asking him to ensure proper treatment to the injured. Spoke to Minister @JPNadda & asked him to facilitate transfer of all those injured to AIIMS. Hope the injured recover quickly. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 17, 2016 × All the critically ill patients will be flown in to New Delhi through as many as 10 air ambulances for treatment. On the other hand, the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, declared that the state government would bear all cost of treatment of the injured patients. The state government has also formed a committee to probe into the incident. (WION)

At least 19 dead in major fire in hospital in eastern India's Odisha