Fire at Cuttack hospital kills ten patients, injures several
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- First seen: March 16, 2026 at 06:02 AM UTC
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- Last updated: March 17, 2026 at 12:05 AM UTC
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Coordinates: 20.4735, 85.8912
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Ten ICU patients killed in hospital fire in eastern India
Emergency responders carried patients out of a government hospital in Odisha, India.
Al JazeeraMarch 16, 2026 at 09:01 PM UTC10 dead in hospital fire in India’s Odisha
A fire at a government-run hospital in eastern India killed at least 10 critically ill patients who were admitted in the trauma care unit, officials said on Monday. Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and a routine disregard for safety regulations. The fire broke out early on Monday on the first floor of the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Odisha state’s Cuttack city, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told reporters. “A short circuit caused the fire in the trauma ICU ward where patients were being treated,” he said, adding that 23 patients were present on the floor at the time of the incident. Ten people died following the blaze, while the remaining patients were moved to other wards, he added. At least 11 staff members suffered burn injuries as they tried to rescue the patients. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “deeply painful” in a post on social media and offered his condolences to the families of the victims. He also announced compensation of $2,160 to affected families. Electrical short circuits, often caused by poorly maintained wiring, remain the leading cause of fire incidents in India. In 2024, a fire at a private hospital in the southern state of Tamil Nadu killed at least six people and injured more than two dozen. The same year, 10 newborns were killed when a fire engulfed a hospital in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
DawnMarch 16, 2026 at 06:51 AM UTC10 patients killed, several others injured in major fire at Cuttack’s SCB Medical College Hospital
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who visited the hospital, ordered a judicial probe into the incident
The Hindu NationalMarch 16, 2026 at 02:53 AM UTC