Overview

• The fire erupted around 11:20 pm in the Neuro ICU store room on the second floor of SMS Hospital’s trauma centre, filling the ward with dense toxic smoke within minutes.
• Officials said 24 patients were in the trauma centre (11 in the ICU and 13 in a semi‑ICU); six died despite resuscitation efforts and five remain in critical condition after evacuations.
• Firefighters broke windowpanes to attack the blaze and took roughly one to two hours to extinguish it, while staff and relatives moved patients on trolleys and beds to safer areas.
• Hospital leaders cited a likely short circuit as the trigger, with Jaipur Police confirming that an FSL examination and a state‑ordered high‑level inquiry will determine the cause and any lapses.
• Relatives accused staff of ignoring early warnings and fleeing and complained of inadequate fire‑fighting equipment; one outlet reported eight fatalities, though officials continue to confirm six.