Ten Newborns Killed in Hospital Fire in Jhansi, India

On Friday, November 15, a fire broke out at the Maharani Lakshmibai Medical College in Jhansi, northern India, claiming the lives of ten newborns and injuring 17 others, Al Jazeera reported. The fire erupted around 10:30 PM local time in the neonatal unit, which housed 49 infants at the time. Emergency responders managed to rescue 38 babies from the ward.

The deceased infants suffered from burns and suffocation, with seven identified so far. Authorities are investigating the incident, suspecting that a faulty oxygen concentrator may have ignited the blaze. Eyewitness accounts revealed that fire alarms in the unit did not activate, leading to delayed action by hospital staff.

Such unfortunate incidents have not been uncommon in the country. Six months back, a similar blaze at a children’s hospital in New Delhi killed seven newborns. Also, last month, a huge explosion involving fireworks left dozens of people injured in the state of Kerala.