• Source:JND
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Relatives of the eight patients who died in the ICU fire at Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital on Sunday night alleged that they had alerted hospital staff about the smoke, but their warnings were ignored as the fire intensified. Family members of the victims staged a protest at the hospital, accusing staff of negligence and demanding a thorough investigation. They also sought Rs 50 lakh in compensation and a government job for one member from each affected family.

Some family members also claimed that the hospital lacked basic firefighting equipment, which worsened the situation and contributed to the deaths. 

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Om Prakash, whose 25-year-old maternal aunt's son was admitted, recounted the tragedy and said, "Smoke started spreading around 11:20 PM, and I warned the doctors that it could cause discomfort to patients. By the time the smoke intensified, the doctors and compounders had already fled. Only 4 to 5 patients were evacuated. Tragically, my maternal aunt's son lost his life due to the incident. He was about to recover and was scheduled to be discharged in two-three days."

Jogendra Singh, a relative of another patient, expressed frustration over the staff’s negligence, telling reporters that he lost his mother in the fire.

"My mother was admitted to the ICU. When the spark occurred, I alerted the doctors four to five times that it was coming from there, but they dismissed it as normal. Suddenly, smoke engulfed the area, and all the staff ran out, leaving no one to help or save my mother. I was outside when I asked the police, and they said everyone had been evacuated. However, my mother and brother were still trapped inside the hospital. Somehow, I managed to rescue my brother, but he is now in critical condition," he said.

Narendra Singh, another relative, was initially unaware of the fire. "There was a fire in the ICU, and I didn't even know. I had come downstairs to have dinner at the time. There wasn't even any equipment to douse the fire--no facilities were available. My mother was admitted there," he said.

Narendra Singh, another relative, was initially unaware of the fire. "There was a fire in the ICU, and I didn't even know. I had come downstairs to have dinner at the time. There wasn't even any equipment to douse the fire--no facilities were available. My mother was admitted there," he said.

Ranjit Singh Rathore, whose brother was admitted to the hospital, said he received a distressing call at 11.30 pm.

“I had just arrived this evening. I rushed to the hospital, but initially, they wouldn’t let me inside. After some time, I managed to enter. When I went in, I found my brother dead," he said.

Jaipur SMS Hospital Fire Update 

A massive fire broke out late Sunday in the ICU on the second floor of Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Hospital trauma centre, initially killing eight patients. Eleven patients were admitted at the time, most comatose, making rescue urgent. A short circuit is believed to have caused the blaze, which spread rapidly and released toxic gases. 

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Hospital staff rescued patients on trolleys, but six critically ill patients could not be saved, and five remain in critical condition. Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma ordered an investigation, forming a committee chaired by Iqbal Khan, while PM Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the victims’ families.