Death toll in RIMS-Adilabad tragedy rises to 5, two more infants die
The death toll in the RIMS-Adilabad SNCU tragedy rose to five after two more infants died on Wednesday. Officials said three newborns had earlier died after inhaling toxic smoke and gases following an AC explosion, while two others remained critical.
Adilabad: Death toll in the tragic AC machines explosion at a Special Care Newborn Unit in Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) has risen to five with two more infants succumbing on Wednesday.
Officials said that a baby of Nagubai from Dubbaguda in Indervelli died when she was being shifted to a hospital in Nirmal, while a baby of Durgabai from Lingapur mandal breathed her last during treatment at RIMS.
Earlier, three preterm babies aged below a month from different parts of the district died of asphyxiation and inhaling toxic gases and smoke emanated due to explosion of the ACs. Twenty newborns were rescued by security guards, ambulance drivers and staffers of the institute.
Around 25 infants were being treated in incubators at SNCU when the tragic incident happened. While five of them died, the medical condition of two more newborns is said to be critical.
Grief-stricken parents were devastated to lose babies to the unprecedented tragedy. They demanded officials to take steps to prevent recurrence of similar incidents.
Poor maintenance of ACs and lack of funds to improve infrastructure of the RIMS are attributed to the accident. An inquiry by a five-member committee has been initiated to ascertain the causes of the incident.
