An electrical short circuit has once again caused damage, killing ten newborns in a fire at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, Jhansi, on Friday evening. The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Jhansi confirmed that the fire was triggered by a short circuit.

Similarly, a short circuit in the operation theater (OT) of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow, led to the death of a woman and a 31-day-old newborn on December 19, 2023.

Such incidents are extremely common. According to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 101 people lost their lives in 106 incidents related to electrical short circuits in Uttar Pradesh in 2022. Of them, 83 men and 18 women, while five others , including four men and one woman. – were injured.

However, hospital authorities often fail to account for the increased incidence of electrical short circuits in winter, when a sudden increase in electrical load overwhelms hospital systems. “Winter is generally not a fire-prone season. But short circuits are quite common due to excessive voltage load which starts in winter,” Director General of Fire Service Avinash Chandra said on Saturday.

Chandra highlighted the importance of carrying out proper electrical audits in hospitals to assess the electrical load in winter and summer. “The quality of electrical wiring must match the expected load to avoid short circuits. Prevention is essential, but it is often overlooked,” he said. “Institutions should also conduct simulation, evacuation and fire safety exercises regularly to avoid such situations,” he added.

Oxygen cylinders and concentrators often exacerbate fires, causing them to spread quickly in areas where such equipment is present, Chandra noted.

A Lucknow-based fire safety expert pointed out that electrical short circuits are the main cause of fires, but they occur due to several factors. “An electrical safety audit of the NICU of Jhansi Medical College may reveal the cause of the fire. This may be due to internal overload of the equipment installed in the NICU, resulting from technical faults or poor quality of the equipment. However, further investigation is needed to determine the exact cause,” the expert said.

He explained that fires due to short circuits become more common in winter as the use of air conditioners, fans and heaters increases, leading to voltage overload. He also highlighted that during a seminar in 2023, several experts from the Institution of Fire Engineers highlighted the need for electrical safety in buildings.

Electrical wiring is often installed based on the existing load at the time of construction, but as electrical consumption increases over time, the wiring becomes inadequate. Regular electrical safety audits should be carried out to assess the current load, and wiring should be upgraded accordingly to avoid short circuits.

In terms of deaths due to electrical short circuits, Uttar Pradesh ranks fourth with 101 deaths in 2022 according to NCRB data. Odisha reported the maximum with 446 deaths, including 403 males and 43 females, followed by Maharashtra with 143 deaths (109 males and 34 females) and Bihar with 118 deaths (97 males and 21 females). Nationwide, 3,375 fires caused by electrical short circuits were reported in 2021 (1,808) and 2022 (1,567), according to the latest NCRB data.