At least 10 newborns have tragically died in a fire that engulfed the neonatal ward of a hospital in northern India, sparking chaos and panic among parents and staff.
The blaze erupted at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College Hospital in Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh, late on Friday night, with officials blaming an electrical fault.
As the fire spread, distraught parents rushed to rescue their children. According to local media, some parents broke windows to enter the ward.
“The nurses were pushing people out, but those who managed to get in grabbed any child they could,” one grieving grandmother told ANI news agency.
Authorities confirmed that 44 infants were saved by staff, but 16 remain in critical condition. The identities of three of the deceased babies are still unknown, leaving several parents in limbo.
Among them is Santoshi, a new mother searching for her 10-day-old baby. “When the fire broke out, I couldn’t go inside to rescue my baby. How could I? When no one was able to get inside, how could anyone hand me my baby?” she told ANI.
The fire reportedly started in the intensive care unit of the neonatal ward at approximately 10:30 pm local time (5:00 pm GMT).
Officials believe the cause was an electrical short circuit or a malfunction in a machine used to enhance oxygen levels in the ward.
Photos from the scene depicted anguished parents waiting outside the hospital, overwhelmed by the tragedy.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow, calling the incident “heart-wrenching” in an online message.
“My deepest condolences to those who have lost their innocent children in this. I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this immense loss,” he wrote.
In response, the Uttar Pradesh state government announced compensation of 500,000 rupees (approximately £4,600 or $5,900) for each bereaved family.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak noted that the hospital had undergone a safety review in February and conducted a fire drill as recently as June.
This marks the second major hospital fire in India involving newborn deaths in the past six months. In May, six babies lost their lives in a fire at a private neonatal facility in Delhi.
Source-BBC
