UP: Newborns perish in deadly fire

Probe team formed; govt dismisses claims of expired fire extinguishers, electrical short circuit suspected

At least 10 newborns perished in a massive blaze at the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh on Friday night while 16 infants were battling for their lives in a critical condition.

The fire that engulfed the neonatal care unit exposed critical lapses in fire safety norms, prompting the state government to order a probe into the incident that sent shockwaves across the state. Questions have also been raised about the hospital's preparedness to handle emergencies.

Catering to families from Bundelkhand region and even Madhya Pradesh, the neonatal intensive care unit at the government-run medical College in Jhansi was used to operating beyond capacity.

While it can accommodate only 18 babies, at the time of the Friday night fire that claimed the lives of 10 newborns, it had 55 inside. Dr N S Sengar, principal of the medical college, said that owing to the high cost of treatment elsewhere, people from various areas come to the hospital. "We manage to provide treatment to all children who come to us," he said.

The SNCU typically houses newborns suffering from conditions like jaundice and pneumonia, many of whom are only a few hours or days old. Each baby is identified by a slip bearing the mother's name or a ribbon tied around their ankle.

While 45 infants were rescued, 10 babies succumbed to severe burns and asphyxiation. Witnesses described the fire spreading rapidly, engulfing the ward and cutting off access routes. Firefighters and hospital staff struggled to save the infants amidst the chaos.

Initial investigations revealed that fire extinguishers in the ward were long expired. One extinguisher, last refilled in 2019, had been non-functional for nearly four years, while others had also exceeded their service life.

Fire alarms installed in the I ward also failed to activate, delaying the evacuation process and rescue efforts.