A fire broke out in the neonatal department of a hospital in northern India, killing at least 10 newborns. As the fire spread, chaos and fear ensued, according to relatives of the newborns.
Parents broke windows to enter the ward, racing to reach their children. “The nurses were pushing people out, but those who managed to get in grabbed any child they could,” a bereaved grandma told ANI news agency.
Staff at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi district rescued 44 infants, but at least 16 are in severe condition, according to authorities.
Three of the ten babies that died have yet to be identified, leaving some parents wondering what happened to their children.
Santoshi, a new mother, is still hunting for her 10-day-old kid. “When the fire broke out, I couldn’t get inside to save my baby.
How could I? “How could anyone hand me my baby when no one could get inside?” She informed ANI news agency.
An electrical failure is to blame for the fire that broke out Friday night at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College Hospital.
Pictures from the scene showed distraught parents outside the hospital. According to Indian media, the fire started in the infants’ acute care unit about 22:30 local time (17:00 GMT).
According to local officials, the fire was started by an electrical short circuit or another defect in a machine used to enhance the level of oxygen in the ward.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the killings “heart-wrenching” in an online message.
“My heartfelt sympathies to those who have lost their innocent children. “I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this enormous loss,” he added.
The Uttar Pradesh state government has declared that bereaved families will receive 500,000 rupees (£4,600; $5,900) as compensation.
According to state deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, a safety inspection of the public hospital was conducted in February, followed by a fire drill in June.
This is the second major hospital fire in India in six months that has killed neonates. In May, six newborns died in a fire at a private neonatal clinic in Delhi.
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