Hospital fire kills 10 newborns – DW – 16-11-2024

A fire at a neonatal intensive care unit in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, killed 10 newborn babies and injured at least 16 other children.

“My deepest condolences to those who lost their innocent children in this. I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this immense loss,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X.

How did the fire start?

Local authorities said the fire broke out at around 10:45 pm local time (0515 GMT) on Friday at the neonatal intensive care unit of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi city.

Fifty-five babies were treated in the department. Forty-five babies were rescued and are being treated, local official Bimal Kumar Dubey said. Officials said the fire quickly spread through the neighborhood.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in the oxygen concentrator.

“Seven bodies have been identified. Three bodies have not yet been identified,” he said.

“We will identify those responsible for this tragedy and take strict action. The government stands with the families during this difficult time,” Pathak added.

Some witnesses told the AP news agency that rescue work only started half an hour after the fire broke out. Fire alarms in the hospital did not work and hospital staff only responded when they saw smoke and fire. Questions arise about the hospital’s safety measures.

“If the safety alarm had worked, we could have acted earlier and saved more lives,” said Naresh Kumar, a parent who lost his child.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the state would pay compensation of ₹500,000 ($5,900 or €5,595) to the families of the victims.

Fires occur frequently in India, often related to construction practices and inadequate enforcement of safety regulations. Poor maintenance and poor quality firefighting equipment also contribute to the number of fires. A similar fire at a hospital in Delhi six months ago killed seven newborn babies.

tg/lo (AFP, AP)