CCTV Footage Contradicts Staff Accounts in Amravati Hospital Fire

CCTV footage from the August 24 fire at Amravati’s Dufferin District Women’s Hospital reveals that fire alarms rang three times and warning lights flashed before the blaze, which killed three newborns. While staff claimed alarms failed to function, the footage shows nurses asleep or absent when the first alarm sounded at 2:50 a.m. An inquiry report attributed the tragedy to a defective ventilator, inadequate staff training, and hospital negligence. Former Minister Dr. Sunil Deshmukh alleged an official cover-up, noting that a similar ventilator fire occurred at the facility in 2022. The fire brigade arrived between 3:34 a.m. and 3:40 a.m., following the initial explosion.

Editor's note: The draft effectively synthesizes the CCTV findings, the inquiry report's conclusions, and the political context provided in the source.

This article is AI-generated and fact-gated. Original reporting: The Hindu