In the intervening night of October 5-6, 2025, a devastating fire broke out in the Neuro ICU of the Trauma Centre at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital, Jaipur — Rajasthan's largest government hospital. The blaze, suspected to have originated from a short circuit in a storeroom containing paper, ICU equipment, and blood sampling tubes, killed at least eight patients and critically injured three others. Most victims were comatose at the time; 18 patients were admitted in the ICU and Semi-ICU. Alarmingly, no fire alarms sounded and no sprinklers activated during the incident, while families alleged that hospital staff fled during the fire.

In response, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognizance on October 14, 2025, and issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Rajasthan, seeking a detailed report within two weeks, including on compensation provided to victims' next of kin. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma ordered a high-level probe committee headed by Iqbal Khan, Commissioner of the Medical Department. The Rajasthan government subsequently allocated ₹1.5 crore for ICU redevelopment and issued comprehensive fire safety guidelines for all government hospitals. The incident revealed systemic failures: a similar fire had occurred six years prior at the same hospital and no mock fire drills had been conducted in over a decade.