Jhansi: A devastating fire at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, tragically claimed the lives of 10 newborns and critically injured 16 others. The fire, which broke out at approximately 10:45 PM on Thursday, reportedly started due to a suspected short-circuit in an oxygen concentrator, according to Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak.
At the time of the incident, 54 infants were being cared for in the NICU. Rescue teams were able to save 44 of the babies, but despite their efforts, 10 infants died. Seven of the deceased have been identified, while DNA tests will confirm the identities of the remaining three, officials stated.
The tragic incident led to chaos at the hospital on Friday morning, as distressed parents, unable to meet their injured children, staged protests. Authorities cited concerns about the infants’ identities as the reason for restricting access.
The fire’s aftermath has raised questions about hospital safety, though the Uttar Pradesh government denied claims of non-functional fire alarms and safety systems, stating that a fire safety audit was conducted in February, followed by a mock drill in June.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered immediate rescue efforts and announced compensation for the families of the deceased — Rs 5 lakh for each family — and Rs 50,000 for those whose children were injured. He directed officials to submit a report on the incident within 12 hours.
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed their grief over the tragedy. “The death of several newborns in the Jhansi hospital fire is heartbreaking. I pray for strength for the bereaved families and a speedy recovery for the injured,” President Murmu said. PM Modi called the incident “heartbreaking” and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.
Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, blamed hospital negligence and called for strict action against those responsible for the incident.