India: Ten newborn babies die in fire at neonatal intensive care unit
LUCKNOW – Ten newborn babies died from burns and suffocation after a fire swept through a neonatal intensive care unit in northern India, a government official said on Saturday.
According to media reports, the fire broke out around 10:30 PM (5:00 PM GMT) on Friday at the Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi district, about 285 km (180 miles) southwest of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state.
Emergency responders managed to rescue 38 newborns from the ward, which housed 49 infants at the time of the incident, said state Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak.
According to a government official, however, one infant remains missing.
“Seventeen of the injured are receiving treatment in different wings and some private hospitals,” Pathak told reporters in Jhansi. Seven of the deceased infants have been identified, while the authorities are working to identify the remaining three, he said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered an inquiry into the incident.
