Short circuit triggers panic in newborn unit, 8 infants evacuate

Bhopal: A major tragedy was averted after a short circuit triggered smoke and sparks inside the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Rewa’s Gandhi Memorial Hospital late Thursday night, forcing an emergency evacuation of eight newborns admitted to the ward.

The incident took place around 9.45 pm on March 28 and triggered panic among attendants and hospital staff. According to hospital sources, smoke suddenly started emanating from an electrical point inside the SNCU ward following a short circuit. Staff members on duty immediately used fire extinguishers available in the ward to control the situation before flames could spread further.

As a precautionary measure, all eight newborns admitted to the unit were quickly shifted to another ward. Several anxious family members were seen rushing out carrying infants in their arms as chaos briefly gripped the hospital premises. Officials said the situation was brought under control within 25 to 30 minutes, and no infant or staff member suffered any injury.

The incident has once again raised concerns over fire safety arrangements at the hospital, nearly six months after a fire broke out inside the gynaecology operation theatre of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Rewa during a caesarean surgery. In that Dec 2025 incident, a woman undergoing surgery was rescued safely, but the body of her stillborn infant, which remained inside amid the chaos, was partially charred.

“It was a short circuit that led to sparks and some smoke. Infants were immediately shifted to another ward, and the situation was brought under control within minutes. The current building is a very old structure, construction of a new maternal and child health building is already going on. Meanwhile, we do audit of systems on regular basis,” superintendent of the hospital, Dr Rahul Mishra, told TOI.

Hospital authorities said the affected section was inspected after the incident, and normal functioning was later restored.