A father’s hope cut short as fire incident at RIMS claims newborn daughter in Telangana’s Adilabad
A fire at the Special Neonatal Care Unit of RIMS hospital in Adilabad resulted in the deaths of three infants, including a five-day-old girl. The fire, reportedly caused by an air-conditioner, prompted a chaotic evacuation by staff and attendants.
Why it matters
The incident raises critical questions regarding hospital safety standards and infrastructure maintenance in public healthcare facilities.
Salim Khan of Ichoda had hoped his five-day-old preterm daughter would recover and return home. The midnight fire at the Special Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU) of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Adilabad on Monday (September 21, 2026) turned that hope into grief.
He had hoped to take her home after her recovery, even as his wife was recovering in the maternity ward following a Caesarean section.
Five-day-old Sabha Khanum was among three infants who died following the fire incident which reportedly began after an air-conditioner caught fire.
Sabha, who was on ventilator support at the SNUC, died in the incident. Two other infants succumbed later in the early hours of Tuesday (September 22, 2026) while undergoing treatment at hospitals in Adilabad and Nizamabad.
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