Jaipur Hospital Fire Death Toll Controversy: Families Claim 8 While Officials Report Only 6 Casualties

Digamber (on left) and Sarvesh, the Jaipur hospital fire victims

At SMS hospital's trauma ward entrance in Jaipur, Ramakant is consoling his mother Sangeeta. They had arrived at the hospital on the night when the devastating fire occurred.

Ramakant's 74-year-old aunt Sarvesh had been admitted to the polytrauma ICU ward with a head injury when the fire erupted Sunday night, claiming six lives according to official reports.

He recounts how he personally extracted his aunt from the ward, carrying her out wrapped in a hospital bedsheet. Despite his efforts, she succumbed to her injuries the following morning on October 7.

Sarvesh's sister Sangeeta was overcome with grief as they prepared to transport her sister's body back to Agra, from where they had originally brought her to Jaipur for medical treatment.

"The smoke was overwhelming, leaving me disoriented. I managed to push my aunt's bed out and carried her from the building. We never imagined that bringing her from Agra for treatment would result in facing a disaster like this hospital fire," Ramakant explains.

A parallel tragedy unfolded for the family of 37-year-old Digamber Regar from Sawai Madhopur. NDTV spoke with his brother Kailash, who was waiting outside the mortuary.

Kailash had brought Digamber to SMS hospital on October 5, just a day before the fire. Digamber had sustained a head injury after being struck by a cow and was placed in the polytrauma ward on Saturday evening, receiving oxygen support.

When the fire broke out, Kailash describes a scene of complete chaos with no assistance available. He claims he disconnected his brother's oxygen support and dragged him out. Despite attempting to find an ambulance, none were available.

Hospital records indicate Digamber died at 1:57 am on October 7, approximately two hours after the fire started in SMS hospital's trauma building at 11:50 pm on October 6.

The neuro ICU where the fire originated contained 11 patients. Six deaths were officially recorded, but notably absent from this list were Sarvesh from Agra and Digamber from Sawai Madhopur.

Dr. Sushil Bhati, suspended deputy superintendent of the trauma wing, explained: "Some critical and vulnerable patients required relocation, and they died because of that circumstance, not necessarily due to the fire directly."

The health department released a list of six fire-related casualties, all admitted on the second floor's neuro ICU where the fire started. Sarvesh and Digamber weren't included because they were patients in the semi-ICU ward.

A health department official clarified, "Only those who died from smoke inhalation and fire have been counted among the casualties, all from the neuro ICU."

Of the 34 patients on the second floor—11 in the Neuro ICU and 23 in adjacent ICUs—a senior doctor stated they managed to save all except six.

Five patients sustained critical injuries, with three still requiring ICU care while two are recovering in regular wards.

"We rapidly organized ventilators and called in additional staff to provide oxygen support to critical patients who needed evacuation from the second floor. This has been a devastating loss. I'm shaken that we lost six patients, but we're somewhat grateful for those we managed to save," remarked a senior neurosurgeon who requested anonymity.

Officials noted that deaths occurring elsewhere in the polytrauma building, not on the second floor, weren't included in the official count.

For grieving families like those of 74-year-old Sarvesh from Agra or Digamber from Sawai Madhopur, such distinctions in official casualty lists have become meaningless in the face of their personal loss.