A tragic fire at the children’s ward of the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi claimed the lives of 10 newborns late on Friday night.
The Uttar Pradesh government has announced a three-tier probe into the incident and dismissed allegations of expired fire extinguishers at the hospital.
'Short circuit could be the cause'
Jhansi District Magistrate Avinash Kumar confirmed the fire, which erupted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at approximately 10:45 pm, was likely caused by an electrical short circuit. The NICU housed several prematurely born infants at the time.
The Uttar Pradesh government has declared an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh for the families of each deceased infant and ₹50,000 for those injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced ₹2 lakh assistance for the next of kin of each victim.
Nurse's negligence alleged
According to media reports, while a short circuit is believed to be the cause of the massive blaze, an eyewitness has claimed that negligence by a nurse may have been responsible for the tragedy.
The full details of what led to the fire at medical college are expected to emerge after the probe report is submitted to the Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday evening.
Bhagwan Das, a resident of Hamirpur, was in the ward at the time of the incident as his son was admitted there. Das alleged that a nurse lit a matchstick while attempting to connect the pipe of an oxygen cylinder.
In an oxygen-rich environment, the match sparked the fire, causing the ward to quickly ignite. "As soon as the match was lit, the whole ward caught fire," Das recalled.
Amid the chaos, he swiftly wrapped 3–4 children in a cloth around his neck and carried them to safety. With the help of others, Das managed to save more children.
‘All equipment functional’: Government denies allegations
Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak refuted reports that expired fire extinguishers contributed to the disaster.
“All firefighting equipment in the medical college was completely fine,” he asserted.
He added that a fire safety audit had been conducted in February, followed by a mock drill in June.
The principal of the medical college, Dr Narendra Singh Sengar, also dismissed the allegations as baseless.
Grief and anguish outside the ward
The NICU was engulfed in sorrow as devastated parents and relatives gathered, many young mothers clinging to one another in despair.
According to hospital officials, there were around 54 infants admitted to the NICU ward.
Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Gyanendra Kumar Singh said that seven of the deceased infants underwent post-mortems on Saturday, while the autopsy of three others is pending as their parents are yet to be identified.
“Sixteen children are undergoing treatment in other wards of the medical college,” said Deputy CM Pathak, adding that they were being kept on warmers.
Some parents reportedly took their children home after the fire erupted, while efforts continue to verify the tally of infants in the NICU at the time of the incident.
Prime Minister condoles deaths
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of children in fire, saying, "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."
"The local administration, under the supervision of the state government, is making every possible effort for relief and rescue," he added.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also took cognisance of the incident and instructed district officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured.
"The death of children in an accident that took place in the NICU of the medical college located in Jhansi district is extremely sad and heartbreaking. District administration and concerned officials have been instructed to conduct relief and rescue operations on a war footing," he posted in Hindi on X.
Government orders probe
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a three-tier investigation, including probes by the Divisional Commissioner, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, and the fire department. A magisterial inquiry has also been launched.
Speaking at an election rally in Phulpur, Prayagraj, the Chief Minister expressed his condolences and explained that rescue and relief operations kept him occupied through the night.
“My heart goes out to those who lost their children,” Adityanath said.
Political repercussions
The fire has sparked a political furore, with opposition parties accusing the BJP government of negligence.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi remarked that such incidents “raise many serious questions about the negligence of the government and administration.”
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called for strict legal action against those found culpable, while Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav demanded compensation of ₹1 crore for each bereaved family.
According to hospital officials, there were around 54 infants admitted to the NICU ward.
"This is a very sad and unfortunate incident. 10 newborns died in the fire, and around 35 newborns were rescued. Doctors are giving the best possible treatment to the injured newborns. Government is in touch with medical college doctors," BJP MLA Rajeev Singh Parichha said.
Yadav also criticised the Chief Minister for focusing on poll campaigns instead of improving the state’s healthcare infrastructure.
“Gorakhpur should not be repeated,” he said, alluding to a similar tragedy in the past.
The state government emphasised that quick action by senior officials ensured the rescue of 54 infants within 15-20 minutes.
Most of the rescued children have been shifted to other wards, private nursing homes, or the district hospital for treatment.
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