A devastating overnight fire at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, Odisha has resulted in ten fatalities, with all victims confirmed as patients receiving treatment in the trauma care intensive care unit. The blaze, which ignited approximately at 02:30 local time on Monday (21:00 GMT Sunday), is preliminarily attributed to an electrical short circuit.
State Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi confirmed that eleven hospital staff members sustained burn injuries during heroic rescue attempts to evacuate patients from the rapidly spreading flames. These personnel, including medical staff and security, reportedly ‘risked their lives’ during the emergency operation according to the Chief Minister’s statements to press representatives.
The fire primarily affected the trauma care ICU while also spreading to adjacent intensive care units and patient wards. Emergency response teams successfully brought the conflagration under control, with evacuated patients relocated to other departments within the same medical facility—one of Odisha’s largest government-run hospitals.
This incident represents the latest in a series of tragic hospital fires across India. Historical precedents include last October’s ICU fire in Rajasthan that killed six critically ill patients, the 2024 neonatal ICU blaze in Jhansi that claimed ten newborn lives, and separate 2021 fires in Virar and Maharashtra that resulted in 13 COVID-19 patient fatalities and 10 infant deaths respectively.
The Odisha state government has announced financial compensation for victims’ families and initiated a judicial inquiry into the incident. Chief Minister Majhi pledged strict action against any parties determined responsible for the tragedy.
Electrical short circuits remain a predominant cause of hospital fires throughout India, with medical facilities presenting particular vulnerability due to extensive electrical equipment, oxygen systems, and the inherent challenges of evacuating immobile patients during emergencies.