India, Aug. 25 -- Three infants died while 36 others were rescued in the early hours of Monday after a ventilator explosion triggered a fire in the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the District Women's Hospital in Amravati, Maharashtra, prompting the state government to order a high-level probe and enforce strict fire safety audits across healthcare facilities statewide.

Maharashtra chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the incident "extremely tragic and heart-wrenching", announcing Rs.5 lakh in ex gratia for the family of each deceased infant. He also directed the Amravati district collector to ensure that all injured and rescued infants receive medical treatment at state expense.

According to officials, the fire broke out around ...