Eight critically ill patients lost their lives after a devastating fire broke out late Sunday night in the trauma centre of the state-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur. Officials said the blaze originated in a storage room adjacent to the Neuro ICU, where 11 patients were receiving treatment. According to Dr. Anurag Dhakad, in charge of the trauma centre, a suspected short circuit was the likely cause of the incident. Within minutes, the fire spread rapidly through the section, engulfing vital equipment, blood sample tubes, and medical supplies, while thick smoke choked the entire ward and hindered rescue efforts.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and panic as hospital staff and attendants scrambled to save patients trapped inside. Vikas, a ward boy who was present during the incident, told PTI that he and his colleagues managed to rescue three to four patients before the flames grew uncontrollable. “We were inside the operating theatre when we heard about the fire. We tried to go back in, but the smoke made it impossible,” he said. Firefighters later broke through a rear window to gain access to the ward, but by the time they arrived, much of the trauma centre was already gutted. Police and emergency teams struggled to enter the building due to the thick smoke, further delaying rescue operations.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel and Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham, visited the hospital early Monday to inspect the site and meet the victims’ families. However, their visit was met with anger from attendants who accused the hospital staff of negligence. “We had seen smoke earlier and informed the staff, but no one paid attention,” said one distraught attendant. “They were the first to run when the fire spread. Now no one is telling us what happened to our patients.” The tragedy has once again raised questions about fire safety compliance and emergency preparedness in government hospitals across Rajasthan.