SCB Hospital Trauma Care Centre Fire Toll Rises To 13; NHRC Seeks Report From Odisha Govt
A short circuit in the ICU located on the first floor of the building led to the fire, where around 23 patients were undergoing treatment.
Published : March 17, 2026 at 4:39 PM IST
Cuttack: The death toll in the devastating fire at Sriram Chandra Bhanja (SCB) Medical College and Hospital here has reportedly gone up to 13 after three more patients succumbed to burn injuries on Tuesday. However, officials from the hospital and district administration are yet to confirm the revised numbers.
At least 10 patients died after a blaze erupted in the Trauma Care Centre of the hospital in the wee hours on Monday. Later, relatives of three more patients claimed that their kin too succumbed to burns. The deceased have been identified as an 11-year-old girl from Bhadrak, a 20-year-old Purat Dishari from Koraput and a 30-year-old Suman Kumar Sahu from Angul district.
Sources said that the post-mortem examination of the bodies are being conducted and families have been informed. The hospital administration has not yet issued an updated official death toll.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of the incident and expressed concern over the loss of lives. The Commission has directed Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg to submit a detailed report within 15 days. Issued by NHRC member Justice B R Sarangi while hearing a petition filed by Human Rights Front (HRF) India president Manoj Jena, the Commission also directed immediate action against those responsible for lapses leading to the incident.
Jena, who visited the site, alleged negligence on the part of the hospital administration and inadequate safety measures. Jena said, “The safety of patients was not given due attention, which led to the incident. Similar fire incidents have occurred in other government hospitals in the state as well. A case was registered with the National Human Rights Commission regarding the incident. The commission has heard the case and directed the state chief secretary to submit a detailed report in this regard within 15 days.”
The fire broke out in the centre due to a short circuit in the ICU located on the first floor of the building, where around 23 patients were undergoing treatment at the time. Jena demanded a high-level probe into the incident and strict action against those responsible. He also sought compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
Senior politician and former MLA Bijoy Mohapatra, who visited the hospital following the incident, also blamed administrative negligence and called for a thorough investigation. He stated he had spoken to the Chief Minister regarding the matter and stressed the need to review fire safety systems in hospitals to prevent such incidents in future.
Read More
