India, Oct. 6 -- Nine patients, including three women, died after a massive fire broke out late Sunday night in the ICU of the trauma centre at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur.

The blaze erupted around 11.20 pm in the neuro ICU ward's store room, where papers, medical equipment, and blood sample tubes were kept. Officials suspect a short circuit as the cause.

At the time of the incident, 11 patients were admitted in the affected ICU, while 13 others were in an adjoining ward.

A Fire officer said that by the time fire crews arrived, the entire ward was filled with smoke, blocking all access.

"We had to break windowpanes from the opposite side of the building and spray water jets inside," he said. It took nearly one and a half ...