SMS Hospital Trauma Centre Fire Exposes Failing Hospital Safety
SMS Hospital Jaipur Fire on Sunday night (Image credit video grab)
A late-night blaze at Rajasthan’s largest government hospital leaves six dead and several injured.
By AMIT KUMAR
Jaipur, October 6, 2025 — A massive fire broke out late Sunday night at the Trauma Centre of Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, Rajasthan’s largest government hospital, triggering chaos among patients and staff. The blaze erupted on the second-floor ICU ward, killing six patients — four men and two women — and injuring several others, hospital officials confirmed.
Health Minister Dr. Kirori Lal Meena and MLA Bal Mukund Acharya rushed to the scene, supervising emergency operations as 10 fire tenders battled the flames and rescuers evacuated critical patients. Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma reached the hospital later to take stock of the situation.
Dr. Anurag Dhakad, in charge of the Trauma Centre, told reporters that a short circuit is suspected to have caused the blaze. “Toxic fumes spread rapidly through the ICU, worsening the condition of critically ill patients. Despite immediate efforts, six could not be saved,” he said.
At the time, 18 patients were in the ICU and semi-ICU wards. Staff managed to move 11 patients from the affected unit to safety. Visuals from the scene showed patients being wheeled out with oxygen cylinders as thick smoke billowed through the corridors.
The fire was brought under control after nearly two hours, and authorities have launched an inquiry into possible electrical and safety lapses. The Rajasthan government has announced compensation for victims’ families and ordered a high-level probe.
A Preventable Tragedy — and a Familiar Pattern
This is not the first time India’s public hospitals have been scorched by preventable disaster. From Rajkot (2021) to Jharkhand (2023), fires caused by electrical faults, overloaded circuits, and neglected safety protocols have claimed dozens of lives in intensive care units.
Experts point to a chronic neglect of safety audits and inadequate fire suppression systems in aging government hospitals — where oxygen pipelines, power cables, and air-conditioning ducts often share space in cramped wards.
Despite National Building Code guidelines mandating fire safety inspections every six months, compliance remains lax. Accountability, too, is fleeting — with inquiries routinely dissolving into bureaucratic silence once the headlines fade.
Follow The Raisina Hills on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn
About The Author
