In the pre-dawn darkness of August 24, a sudden explosion tore through the neonatal intensive care unit at Amravati’s government maternity hospital. Flames erupted from a ventilator, sending thick black smoke billowing through the ward where 39 newborns lay helpless. Three infants would not survive.

Key facts

  • Fire sparked by ventilator explosion around 3:15 a.m. on August 24
  • Three newborns died, two sustained burn injuries
  • 36 babies rescued and transferred to nearby hospitals
  • Hospital serves Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal, and Washim districts

A Father’s Unimaginable Loss

Swapnil Borde’s shirt was soaked with sweat and tears as he stood in the hospital courtyard two days later. His newborn—low weight, struggling to breathe—had been on that ventilator. "My fair baby was turned black," he said, voice breaking. "I took him in my arms only after he died." This was his family’s first child in a generation, conceived after four years of hoping.

Rescue Amid Chaos

Nursing attendants reacted instantly, using bare hands to pull infants from burning cradles. Kirti Ghanvir, 45, suffered burns and blisters as she felt through smoke and flames. "I had to feel around to see if there was a baby," she recalled. "When I found one, I grabbed it." Their bravery saved lives, but grief lingers. "I have only one regret," said Ghanvir. "That we couldn’t save those three children."

“The smoke was dense; the fire brigade reached in time but took almost an hour to take water pipes to the third floor.” — Phula Shanware, eyewitness and grandmother

Systemic Warnings Ignored

This wasn’t the first fire here. A similar incident occurred in September 2022, also involving a ventilator. Records show hospital authorities had urgently flagged lapses, writing to the Public Works Department on July 17 to arrange a fire safety audit. They warned that letting the fire NOC lapse could invite "legal complications during an emergency." Yet, action stalled.

Statewide Reckoning

Maharashtra’s health minister, Prakash Abitkar, formed a seven-member committee to investigate. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced ₹5 lakh compensation for each grieving family and ordered full government coverage for injured infants’ treatment. The state now scrambles to inspect all hospitals—government, private, and charitable—for fire and electrical safety. But for families like Swapnil Borde’s, the reforms come too late.