A fire in the incubation room of a private children hospital here in LB Nagar led to the death of a month-old baby during the early hours of Monday. At least five other infants received injuries, the police said. The baby boy who died in the fire accident was from the Doopadu village of Suryapet District.

The incident happened at around 2.30 am, when there was a sudden eruption of fire with a loud sound in the ICU of Shine Childrens Hospital. Very soon, fire engulfed the ICU and the hospital staff immediately broke open the doors and windows to rescue infants who were undergoing treatment for various ailments.

“Six infants received burn injuries. Three of them were shifted to a hospital in Uppal and the remaining two were admitted in a private hospital in Boduppal. One child succumbed to burns,” the LB Nagar police said. The police immediately called the fire tenders which rushed to the spot and put out the fire, ensuring that it did not spread to other parts of the hospital.

Eyewitnesses say that the fire erupted because of a gas cylinder blast in the ICU where the infants were kept inside the incubators. However, the police also suspect a short circuit. An investigation is going on.