At least 10 children were killed in a fire that broke out at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh&rsquo;s Jhansi district on Friday night, officials said. The fire, possibly due to a short circuit, broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi.
According to hospital officials, over 54 infants were in the NICU ward, and several infants trapped have been rescued. They said efforts to douse the fire, and rescue the newborns are underway.
&ldquo;There were 54 babies admitted in the NICU ward. Suddenly a fire broke out inside the oxygen concentrator, efforts to douse the fire were made but since the room was highly oxygenated, the fire spread quickly.
Many babies were rescued. 10 babies have died, and injured babies are undergoing treatment,&rdquo; said Sachin Mahor, Chief Medical Superintendent at Jhansi Medical College.
Doctors and medical staff were seen evacuating patients by breaking the windows. The wards filled with smoke before fire brigade officials reached the spot. &ldquo;As per the staff present in the ward, the fire broke out at around 10.35 pm Thirty-seven children have been safely rescued.
The fire broke out in one of the two units of the children&rsquo;s ward possibly due to a short circuit. The children in the outer part of the NICU were rescued, along with some of those who were in the interior part. We have formed a committee to probe the cause of the fire. While most of the children were rescued, as per initial information, 10 children were killed in the accident,&rdquo; said Avinash Kumar, District Magistrate of Jhansi.
Six fire engines are present at the spot, he added. &ldquo;The fire is now brought under control. Senior officials, including that of the fire brigade, are present at the spot and necessary action is being taken,&rdquo; said Jhansi police.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognizance of the incident and directed the district administration to expedite the relief work. He assured that an adequate number of fire brigade vehicles have been deployed for the relief and rescue work.
In a post on X, CM Adityanath offered condolences to the families of the deceased children. &ldquo;The death of children in an accident that occurred in the NICU of the medical college located in Jhansi district is extremely sad and heartbreaking. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to provide salvation to the departed souls and speedy recovery to the injured,&rdquo; he wrote on X. "
Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Brajesh Pathak on Saturday inspected the hospital premises. The divisional commissioner and deputy inspector general of police of Jhansi to submit a report regarding the tragic fire incident within 12 hours.
Taking to social media platform X, Brajesh Pathak stated, &ldquo;Today I inspected the unfortunate fire accident in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi and gave necessary instructions to the officials. During this, Principal Secretary, Medical and Health in Uttar Pradesh, Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma and other officials were present.&rdquo;
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the loss of lives in the fire at the Jhansi hospital. &ldquo;Heartbreaking! The fire accident at Jhansi Medical College in Uttar Pradesh is heart-wrenching. 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,&rdquo; Modi was quoted as saying in a post in Hindi on X by the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office.
&ldquo;The local administration, under the supervision of the state government, is making every possible effort for relief and rescue,&rdquo; he said.
&mdash;IANS
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Newborns saved from the fire by hospital staff

Blaze broke out in NICU ward on Friday night; CM Adityanath extends condolences, orders inquiry into incident

10 Kids Killed in Deadly Jhansi Hospital Fire

Blaze broke out in NICU ward on Friday night; CM Adityanath extends condolences, orders inquiry into incident

November 16, 2024 | 07:12 IST