Ten newborns tragically lost their lives due to burns and suffocation after a fire broke out in a neonatal intensive care unit in northern India, a government official reported on Saturday.
The fire ignited late Friday at the Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi district, located about 180 miles southwest of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.
According to state Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, emergency responders successfully rescued 38 newborns from the unit, which had 49 infants at the time of the incident.
“Seventeen of the injured are receiving medical care in various hospitals, including some private facilities,” Pathak told reporters in Jhansi. While seven of the deceased infants have been identified, efforts are ongoing to identify the remaining three. Additionally, one infant is still unaccounted for, as revealed by a government official who preferred to remain anonymous.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered an investigation into the incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his condolences regarding this heartbreaking event, expressing his sorrow on social media. “My deepest condolences to those who lost their innocent children in this incident. I pray to God to grant them the strength to endure this immense loss,” Modi wrote.
The incident has left the community in shock, highlighting the urgent need for safety measures in healthcare facilities.
