At least 10 critically ill patients were killed after a fire broke out early Monday in the trauma intensive care unit of a government-run hospital in Odisha, eastern India, officials confirmed.
The blaze erupted at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, one of the state’s largest public medical facilities. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi stated that the fire was triggered by an electrical short circuit inside the trauma ICU ward where patients were receiving treatment.
According to authorities, 23 patients were on the affected hospital floor when the fire started. Emergency teams rushed to evacuate patients as the flames spread through the ward.
Local media reported additional injuries, though officials have not yet confirmed the exact number of those wounded.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the incident as deeply painful and announced financial assistance for the victims’ families. The government will provide compensation of approximately $2,000 to the relatives of those who died.
Electrical short circuits, often linked to poorly maintained wiring systems, remain one of the leading causes of building fires in India. Safety experts warn that inadequate fire prevention systems and limited firefighting infrastructure frequently worsen the impact of such incidents.
Hospital fires have repeatedly raised safety concerns across the country. In 2024, a fire at a private hospital in the southern state of Tamil Nadu killed six people and injured dozens. In another tragedy the same year, 10 newborn babies died in a hospital fire in Uttar Pradesh.
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