Deadly Fire at Odisha Hospital Kills 10 Patients

Cuttack, Odisha. Ten patients lost their lives in a massive fire that broke out late Sunday night at the Shri Ram Chandra Bhanj Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha, India. The fire, which started around 3:00 AM in the Trauma Care ICU on the first floor of the hospital, quickly escalated, resulting in the deaths of seven people at the scene and three during treatment.

At the time of the blaze, 23 patients were admitted to that ICU ward. In the rescue efforts, at least 11 hospital staff members were also burned and injured. Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi visited the hospital early Monday morning to check on the condition of the injured. He announced compensation of INR 2.5 million per family for the deceased and ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. This hospital is considered the largest health institution in Odisha, attracting patients from across the state.

Such fire incidents in hospital ICU wards raise serious questions about safety systems. Previously, in October 2025, a fire at the Trauma Center of Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur resulted in the deaths of 8 patients.

At that time, the alarm system failed to activate because the smoke detector in the storeroom was non-functional, leading to the deaths of patients who were on ventilators.