A devastating fire swept through a neonatal intensive care unit at a hospital in northern India, killing 10 newborns and injuring 16 others, authorities reported.
The blaze broke out late Friday at a hospital in Jhansi city, Uttar Pradesh state, and spread rapidly through the ward, which housed 55 infants. Emergency teams managed to rescue 45 babies, who are now receiving medical care, according to Bimal Kumar Dubey, a local official.
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The cause of the fire remains unclear. Brajesh Pathak, Uttar Pradesh’s deputy chief minister, visited the hospital on Saturday to meet with grieving families. He assured them of government support and promised a comprehensive investigation.
“We will hold those responsible accountable and take strict action. The government stands firmly with the affected families during this tragedy,” he stated.
When firefighters arrived, the neonatal ward was engulfed in flames and smoke, forcing rescuers to break windows to reach the trapped infants. Witnesses reported that rescue efforts began approximately 30 minutes after the fire started, delaying the evacuation.
The tragedy has drawn attention to the hospital’s safety protocols. While fire alarms had been installed in the neonatal unit, witnesses and parents claimed they failed to activate. Staff only responded after noticing smoke and flames.
“If the alarm system had worked, we could have acted faster and saved more lives,” said Naresh Kumar, a parent who lost his child in the fire.
Akhtar Hussain, whose son survived and is now receiving treatment, echoed concerns about the hospital’s safety measures, saying the incident could have been avoided with better precautions.
Fires are a frequent occurrence in India, where safety regulations and building codes are often disregarded. Inadequate maintenance and insufficient firefighting equipment exacerbate the problem, leading to tragic outcomes.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. In May, six newborns died in a fire at a New Delhi children’s hospital. Three years earlier, a fire at a hospital in Maharashtra claimed the lives of 10 infants. These recurring tragedies underline the urgent need for stricter enforcement of safety norms and improved emergency preparedness.
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