LUCKNOW: A fire at the neonatal unit of an Indian hospital killed 10 newborns, authorities said on Saturday, with another 39 rescued from a blaze blamed on a faulty oxygen machine.

Building fires are common in India due to a lack of firefighting equipment and a routine disregard for safety regulations. The fire broke out at about 10:30pm on Friday night at the Maharani Lakshmibai Medical College in Jhansi, around 450 kilometres south of the capital New Delhi.

Footage from the scene showed charred beds and walls inside the ward as a crowd of anguished families waited outside. “My child has gone forever,” one mother wailed as she clutched her head in grief.

Babies rescued from the fire, all only days old, were moved to a new unit inside the hospital where staff were caring for them.

Fire likely started in machinery used to enrich oxygen level in atmosphere

“Ten infants have unfortunately died despite our best efforts,” doctor Narendra Sengar, the principal of a medical college attached to the hospital, Said. One infant remains missing, said a government official who asked not to be identified.

Sengar said all 39 other babies in the ward had been rescued and were in good health, contradicting earlier media reports that 16 had been critically injured.

“The postmortem examinations of the babies are being carried out. The 39 infants who have been rescued are unscathed,” he added.

Doctors and staff on duty had rushed to the rescue of the babies “without caring for their own lives”, he said. “Thanks to them we could save 39 babies. They are the real heroes.” Police superintendent Gyanendra Kumar Singh said the fire likely started in a piece of machinery used to enrich the oxygen level in the atmosphere. “All children rescued are safe and getting medical attention,” Singh said.

‘Heart-wrenching’

Deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, Brajesh Pathak met the parents and relatives of the infants on Saturday and assured them of a thorough probe.

Pathak said a safety audit of the hospital was carried out in February followed by a fire drill three months later. “The cause of the fire will be probed,” he added. “If any lapses are found, strict action will be taken against those responsible and no one will be spared.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the deaths “heart-wrenching” in a post on X.

“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 immense loss,” he wrote.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a compensation of 500,000 rupees ($5,900) each to the bereaved families. “I pray to Lord Shri Ram to provide salvation to the departed souls and speedy recovery to the injured,” he posted on X.

Friday’s fire comes six months after a similar blaze at a children’s hospital in New Delhi that killed six newborns.

Authorities said that the hospital was not properly licensed and lacked proper fire exits, and police arrested a doctor and the facility’s owner in the aftermath.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2024