US EditionAt least 10 patients killed in hospital fire in India's Odisha
A suspected electrical short circuit in the Trauma Care ICU caused the fire, killing 10 patients and injuring 11 staff, prompting a judicial inquiry and compensation announcement.
- On Monday, a blaze erupted in the Trauma Care ICU at SCB Medical College in Cuttack, Odisha, killing 10 patients while 23 patients were present during the early morning incident.
- Preliminary reports suggest an electrical short circuit triggered the fire that spread through the trauma wing; medical and security personnel "risked their lives" to rescue patients, leaving around 11 staff members with burn injuries.
- Chief Minister Majhi confirmed that seven critically ill patients died during the initial evacuation, while three others succumbed later, and rescuers shifted the remaining patients to other departments for continued treatment.
- Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi visited the site on Monday, announcing a judicial probe into the tragedy and Rs 25 lakh in ex-gratia assistance for each bereaved family, with strict action promised if negligence is found.
- This incident follows a series of hospital fires across India where electrical faults remain a leading cause of safety failures, prompting the state government to initiate steps to strengthen fire safety measures in medical facilities.
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66 Articles
India: 10 killed in Odisha hospital fire
A deadly fire broke out at a government-run hospital in the eastern Indian state of Odisha early on Monday, officials have confirmed. At least 10 critically ill patients lost their lives. "A short circuit caused the fire in the trauma ICU ward where patients were being treated," said Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Majhi added that 23 patients had been on the floor when the blaze began at the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack cit…
Ten people have died in a hospital fire in the state of Odisha. The flames broke out in the intensive care unit, possibly caused by a short circuit.
10 Patients Dead, 11 Staff Injured After Fire Breaks Out in Hospital ICU
The fire broke out in the hospital's trauma department on Monday, March 16Relatives of fire victims gather outside the trauma care center at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, India, on March 16, 2026Credit: AFP via GettyNEED TO KNOWThe fire at SCB Medical College in Odisha, India, started in the trauma ICU and spread to adjacent wardsState officials announced financial compensation for victims’ families and launched a high-level i…
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