Ashok Gehlot Demands Probe into Jaipur Hospital Fire

In a message on X, Gehlot described the fire that led to the death of seven people as “extremely heartbreaking.” He urged the state government to conduct a high-level inquiry to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.

Meanwhile, Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph confirmed that six people had died in the tragedy. He said the fire was likely caused by a short circuit, though the exact cause would be determined after a forensic investigation.

“Our FSL team’s investigation will reveal the cause of the fire. At first glance, it appears to be a short circuit, but the final cause will only be determined after the FSL report. The death of six people has been confirmed,” the Commissioner told ANI.

He added that the bodies of the deceased have been shifted to the mortuary for post-mortem, while other patients have been moved to another ward for treatment.

Relatives of the patients recounted harrowing scenes as smoke filled the ICU, exposing lapses in safety measures.

Narendra Singh, whose mother was admitted to the ward, said, “There was a fire in the ICU, and I didn’t even know. I had gone downstairs to have dinner. There wasn’t even any equipment to douse the fire—no facilities were available.”

Om Prakash, whose 25-year-old cousin was among the victims, said, “Smoke started spreading around 11:20 PM, and I warned the doctors it could cause discomfort. By the time the smoke intensified, the doctors and compounders had already fled. Only four to five patients were evacuated. My cousin, who was about to recover and be discharged in two to three days, lost his life.”