Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the accident site to assess the situation following the fire incident that occurred in the Medical Trauma Care ICU of SCB at Cuttack.
Patients Evacuated, Probe Ordered
Cuttack: At least 10 patients were killed and several others injured after a fire broke out in the trauma care Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha, early on today, triggering panic inside one of eastern India’s largest government-run healthcare institutions and prompting a large-scale evacuation of critically ill patients from smoke-filled wards.
Hospital authorities said the blaze erupted in the Trauma Care ICU block of the sprawling medical complex during the early hours when several patients were undergoing treatment for serious injuries and life-threatening medical conditions. By the time the flames were brought under control, at least 10 patients had died, most of them critically ill and dependent on oxygen support and other life-sustaining medical equipment. Several patients and hospital staff members were also injured, many while attempting to move patients out of the affected unit amid thick smoke and confusion.
According to officials, more than two dozen patients were present in the trauma care ward and adjoining areas when the fire broke out. Doctors, nurses and attendants rushed to shift patients to safer locations as soon as smoke began spreading through the ICU, while emergency teams began efforts to ventilate the building and secure electrical systems in the ward. Several patients were subsequently transferred to other units within the hospital complex as part of the emergency response.
Firefighters from the Odisha Fire and Emergency Services deployed multiple fire tenders to the hospital and managed to contain the blaze after battling flames and heavy smoke inside the building. Rescue teams also worked to clear the ward of fumes and ensure that oxygen pipelines and electrical installations were stabilised to prevent further danger.
Preliminary indications suggest that the fire may have been triggered by an electrical short circuit involving equipment installed in the ICU, although officials said the exact cause would be established only after a detailed technical investigation. Authorities have begun examining electrical wiring, medical devices and power supply systems in the ward to determine how the blaze originated and why it spread within a critical care facility designed to house patients requiring constant monitoring.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident and extended condolences to the families of the victims. In a message posted on the social media platform X, the Prime Minister described the tragedy as deeply painful and said his thoughts were with those who had lost their loved ones.
“The mishap at a hospital in Cuttack, Odisha, is deeply painful. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” the Prime Minister said.
He also announced financial assistance from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, stating that an ex gratia payment of ₹2 lakh would be provided to the next of kin of each person who died in the fire, while those injured in the incident would receive ₹50,000 to support their treatment and recovery.
The Government of Odisha also announced compensation for the victims, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directing officials to provide an ex gratia payment of ₹25 lakh to the family of each deceased patient and ensure immediate medical care for those injured in the incident. The Chief Minister visited the hospital following the tragedy and ordered a high-level inquiry to determine the circumstances leading to the blaze.
Officials said the investigation would examine whether fire safety systems, electrical infrastructure and emergency response protocols at the hospital were functioning properly at the time of the incident. Authorities are also expected to review safety preparedness in other major government hospitals in the state in light of the tragedy.
The blaze at SCB Medical College and Hospital, a major referral centre that caters to patients from across Odisha and neighbouring regions, adds to a troubling pattern of hospital fire incidents reported in India in recent years, many of them linked to electrical faults and infrastructure vulnerabilities in crowded healthcare facilities. In October 2025, a fire in the trauma centre of Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan, killed six patients after thick smoke spread through critical care wards. Earlier, in August 2022, eight people died when a blaze broke out at New Life Multispeciality Hospital in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, where investigators pointed to a suspected electrical short circuit near a generator installation.
The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of fire safety preparedness in India’s large public hospitals, many of which operate under heavy patient loads and depend on ageing infrastructure and complex electrical systems. Experts say intensive care units are particularly vulnerable because of the concentration of oxygen supply lines, ventilators and other electrical medical equipment operating continuously in confined spaces. Investigators examining the incident at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack are expected to assess whether existing fire detection systems, alarm mechanisms and evacuation protocols were adequate and properly maintained. The findings of the inquiry ordered by the Government of Odisha are likely to feed into a broader review of hospital safety standards aimed at preventing similar disasters in healthcare facilities across India.
– global bihari bureau
