5-day-old infant dies after fire breaks out at Telangana's RIMS hospital; 28 newborns rescued

HYDERABAD: Two infants, including a five-day-old baby, died after a fire broke out at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad late Monday night.Officials said at least 25 other newborns were evacuated from the ward and shifted to safety. They were in stable condition.According to officials, the fire broke out around 11.50pm while the children and their attendants were inside the unit.They added that preliminary investigations indicated that an electrical short circuit in a window air conditioner may have triggered the blaze. The exact cause of the fire, however, is yet to be established.The SNCU is a hospital ward that provides round-the-clock care for sick, premature or low-birth-weight newborns who need extra medical attention.Adilabad station fire officer D Jayatram told TOI that the children were present in the ward when the fire broke out.