UTTAR PRADESH, (India): Efforts are underway to identify three babies who were among the 10 killed in a devastating fire that broke out at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Jhansi Medical College on Friday (Nov 15) night.
The tragedy, believed to have been caused by a short circuit in an oxygen concentrator, spread rapidly in the oxygen-rich NICU where some 49 infants were being treated.
Chief Medical Superintendent Sachin Mahor confirmed the extent of the tragedy, saying, "There were 49 babies in the NICU. 39 were rescued and 10 babies died.
"As of now, all the rescued babies are stable. The bodies of 3 babies are yet to be identified, and the process of identifying them is underway so that the bodies can be handed over to their parents."
The incident has left the nation in shock, prompting condolences and announcement of compensation from both state and central governments.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief on X (formerly Twitter), describing the incident as “heart-wrenching.”
In his message, the PM said, “The fire accident at Jhansi Medical College in Uttar Pradesh is heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences to those who have lost their innocent children in this. I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this tremendous loss. The local administration, under the supervision of the state government, is making every possible effort for relief and rescue.”
The Prime Minister also announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for each deceased child and ₹50,000 for the injured.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also conveyed his condolences, announcing ₹5 lakh in financial aid to the families of each victim.
He further directed local authorities to act swiftly, saying, “A report on the incident must be submitted within 12 hours.”
The Chief Minister’s Relief Fund will also provide ₹50,000 to families of the injured.
Local officials, including the Divisional Commissioner and DIG of Jhansi, are overseeing the investigation into the incident.
The tragedy has sparked outrage and calls for accountability, with many of families of the deceased children questioning the safety protocols at government medical facilities.
Some of the victim’s relatives alleged that the doctors and medical staff at the hospital didn’t try to rescue the infants and ran away when the fire broke out. - The Statesman/ANN
