Fire kills ten newborns at Indian hospital

The tragedy was reportedly caused by a short circuit and subsequent stampede-like situation inside the medical facility

A devastating fire at a government hospital in Jhansi, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, has claimed the lives of at least ten infants and injured over a dozen more.

Preliminary reports suggest that a short circuit inside an oxygen concentrator may have triggered the blaze, leading to chaos as hospital staff attempted to evacuate patients from the neonatal intensive care unit.

The fire broke out on Friday night, quickly engulfing the unit and spreading to other areas of the facility, according to local media reports. Firefighters battled the flames for several hours before bringing the situation under control.

Around 35 infants were rescued and ten were pronounced dead due to smoke inhalation and severe burns; 16 others are still battling for their lives as of early Saturday morning. 

झांसी: मेडिकल कॉलेज हादसे में रेस्क्यू किए गए शिशु????#jhansimedicalcollege pic.twitter.com/zvPLXY97cN

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) November 15, 2024

In a disturbing video circulating on social media, people are seen helping firefighters rescue the infants.

The local authorities and hospital management are facing intense scrutiny following the incident. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Vivek Kumar stated that the safety protocols will be reviewed to prevent future tragedies.

“We are deeply saddened by this incident and are committed to ensuring the safety of all patients,” he said, according to the Times of India.

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced a compensation package for the affected families and pledged to conduct a thorough investigation.

VIDEO | Fire breaks out at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh; rescue operation underway. More details awaited. #Fire #Jhansifire

(Source: Third Party)

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/Q5aZ9MiZMY

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 15, 2024

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak called the deaths of the newborns “very unfortunate,” as the authorities are still in the process of identifying the bodies. “The cause of the fire will be probed,” he said. “If any lapses are found, those responsible will face strict action, and no one will be spared. The government stands with the families of the children.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences following the tragic fire on X: “Heartbreaking! The incident is truly distressing. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their innocent children. I pray that God grants them the strength to endure this immense loss.”

Modi noted that the local administration, with the support of the state government, is making every effort in relief and rescue.

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Opposition political leader Akhilesh Yadav, the head of the Samajwadi Party, claimed that the tragedy was “clearly a case of negligence by medical management and administration or the use of poor-quality oxygen concentrators.”

Yadav added: “All responsible individuals should face punitive action. The chief minister should focus on the deterioration of health and medical services instead of election campaigning and making false claims that everything is fine.”

Earlier this year, a massive fire at the Baby Care Newborn Hospital in New Delhi killed at least seven newborns and left five others injured. According to the fire department, the hospital had violated fire safety rules. In that case as well, the fire was caused by a short circuit in a generator and was amplified after it reached over two dozen oxygen cylinders kept in the hospital.