A fire has ripped through an intensive care unit at a hospital in northern India, killing 10 newborns and injuring 16 others, authorities said.
The fire broke out late Friday at a hospital in the city of Jhansi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Officials said the fire quickly spread to the ward where 55 infants were being treated. 45 children have been rescued and are receiving medical assistance, said Bimal Kumar Dubey, an official in the area.
A preliminary investigation points to safety deficiencies, including outdated fire extinguishers and malfunctioning fire alarms, which officials say have delayed rescue efforts. Authorities are conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire and those who caused it.
Brajesh Pathak, the deputy minister of state, visited the hospital and met the families on Saturday. He promised that the government would support the families of the victims and promised a thorough investigation.
“We will identify those who caused this tragedy and take drastic measures. The government stands with the families in this difficult time,” he said.
He went on to say that a DNA test will be done after which the bodies of the children will be given to their families.
The fire quickly spread to the neonatal ward. When firefighters arrived, the ward was full of flames and smoke. Rescuers had to break windows to reach the newborns. Eyewitnesses said that the rescue operation started 30 minutes after the fire broke out, and efforts to get them out were delayed.
Praminder Singh Chandel, a paramedic at the hospital, said that since the ward was on the ground floor, the firefighters were able to rescue a number of newborns. The ward is divided into two units – one unit is near the hospital entrance. The children who were there were the most affected by the fire, some died due to severe burns.
Shocked and heartbroken family members camped out near the hospital on Saturday demanding answers about what they believe are poor security measures.
Although alarms were installed in the intensive care unit, parents and witnesses said they did not go off when the fire broke out. Hospital staff responded after seeing signs of smoke and fire.
“If the security alarm had worked, we could have taken immediate action and saved many lives,” said Naresh Kumar, a parent who lost his child.
Akhtar Hussain, whose son was rescued and is receiving treatment in a nearby ward, admitted that the tragedy could have been prevented if the hospital had better security measures.
Pathak, the government official, said the hospital’s fire safety systems were last tested in February, followed by a practice run in June.
Fires are common in India, where building codes and safety regulations are often violated by builders and residents. Poor maintenance and lack of proper fire fighting equipment in the country also leads to deaths.
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