What do I tell my wife?’ Father who lost his baby in Telangana hospital fire
10889367 Telangana Fire (2)
- ✓10889367 Telangana Fire (2)
- ✓It was late on Monday night when M Fasil saw his daughter – she was only five days old.
- ✓It was in the air-conditioning unit; that section of the hospital was engulfed in flames and three pre-term babies – all born at 28 weeks – died.
- ✓What do I tell my wife – Saba – who is admitted at a different hospital?
It was late on Monday night when M Fasil saw his daughter – she was only five days old. Born pre-term, she was admitted to the Telangana government-run Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences. "The doctor had allowed me into the Special Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU)… I was there for just five or six minutes, saw my daughter, and prayed for her speedy recovery before coming out," he said.
Moments later there was an explosion. It was in the air-conditioning unit; that section of the hospital was engulfed in flames and three pre-term babies – all born at 28 weeks – died. "Now she is dead. What do I tell my wife – Saba – who is admitted at a different hospital?
Who is to blame for this? Who is going to bring my daughter back?" he asked. His brother tried to console him. Fasil's daughter was born at a private hospital in Adilabad town. But because she was a pre-term baby she was shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi hospital, or RIMS.
Fasil's daughter weighed just 1 kg when she was born on September 18. She died at 12.30 am, an hour after the fire broke out. Shaik Bai from Ichoda – 32 km away – also lost her baby. Also born pre-term – 15 days ago – Bai’s daughter weighed 1.3 kg when she was brought to RIMS last week.
She died at 4.35 am on Tuesday. The third and youngest baby to die was the daughter of Saba Samreen from Utnoor. Born Sunday, she weighed 1.3 kg too. Rescued her from the blaze, her father rushed her to Nizamabad Government General Hospital where she succumbed at 6.15 am.
Following the incident, a pall of gloom descended over the hospital as relatives gathered and took the bodies back to their respective villages. "There was chaos when the ACs started exploding. Everyone, including the nurses and doctors, rushed out and then, realising what was happening, went in again to rescue the infants." "By then, thick smoke had enveloped the unit and nothing was visible.
One of the doors of the ward got locked so the glass panes and windows had to be broken to rescue all the infants. The babies were already gasping for breath or were crying,’" a relative of Shaik Bai said. All three babies were born at other hospitals and rushed to RIMS for 'life-saving treatment'.
Two nurses and several hospital staff suffered burn injuries while rescuing around 28 infants. All the other infants were either born pre-term or had developed complications after birth. Firefighters battled the blaze, which broke out at 11.30pm, for more than an hour before bringing it under control.
Adilabad District Collector Rajarshi Shah said several of the 28 rescued infants later developed breathing difficulties due to smoke inhalation. Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha said three were shifted to a private hospital in Adilabad and two to Nizamabad for further treatment.
- •Aspirants and citizens are advised to monitor official notices and circulars issued by Telangana & Andhra Pradesh Bureau (Hyderabad).
- •Verify all prescribed eligibility criteria, cutoff dates, and authenticated document requirements prior to formal submissions.
- •Track connected examination timetables, vacancy advisories, and administrative gazettes on SuchnaSetu.
| Issuing Authority | Telangana & Andhra Pradesh Bureau (Hyderabad) |
|---|---|
| Topic Category | STATES |
| Jurisdiction | TS State |
| Publication Date | 22 September 2026 |