A fire broke out in the neonatal unit of a hospital in northern India, killing 10 newborns and saving 16 others.
The fire broke out late Friday at the Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh state, 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of Delhi.
Footage from the scene showed charred beds and walls inside the hospital ward, with distressed family members waiting outside.
Officials said the fire spread quickly through the hospital ward, where 55 infants were being treated. Infants just a few days old who had been rescued from the fire were laid out in separate beds in the hospital as hospital staff connected their arms to IV drips.
“Sadly, 10 infants have died,” state deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak told reporters.
“Seven bodies have been identified. Three bodies are yet to be identified.”
A further 16 children were left in critical condition after the fire, the Times Now news agency reported.
Pathak said a safety audit of the hospital was conducted in February, followed by a fire drill three months later.
“The cause of the fire will be investigated in the future,” he added. “If any lapse is found, strict action will be taken against those responsible and no one will be spared.”
District official Avinash Kumar said the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in the unit.
“We are providing medical care to the seriously injured,” he said, according to the Hindustan Times.
Local media said other officials said the fire started in a machine used to increase oxygen levels in the atmosphere.
The fire spread quickly and suddenly because the unit contained high concentrations of flammable gas.
Broadcaster NDTV reported that a total of 54 infants were in the neonatal intensive care unit at the time of the fire.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the death “heartbreaking” in a post on X.
“My heart goes out to those who lost innocent children in this incident. I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this immeasurable loss,” he wrote.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a compensation of 500,000 rupees ($5,900) to the family of the deceased.
“The district administration and officials concerned have been directed to carry out relief operations on a war footing,” Adityanath wrote to X.
Friday’s fire came six months after a similar fire at a children’s hospital in Derry killed six newborns.
Partnership with Agence France-Presse and Associated Press
