A devastating fire at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College Hospital in Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh, claimed the lives of at least 10 newborns, sending shockwaves through the community and igniting fears over hospital safety. The tragedy unfolded late Friday night when a blaze reportedly caused by an electrical fault erupted in the neonatal ward, sooner engulfing the area in chaos and panic.
Heart-wrenching testimonies from distraught parents narrate a desperate scene of frantic attempts to save their children. Relatives were seen breaking windows to enter the ward as the flames spread, with some parents recounting they “grabbed any child they could” after finding their way through the smoke-filled chaos. One grieving grandmother conveyed the despair felt by many, as the nurses struggled to push the overwhelmed parents out of the room amid the frantic situation.
Among the grievous losses, three infants remain unidentified, leaving their families in a state of anguish and uncertainty. Santoshi, a mother whose 10-day-old baby is still unaccounted for, expressed her pain, saying there was little she could do amidst the chaos. “How could I? When no one was able to get inside, how could anyone hand me my baby?” she lamented to ANI.
Local officials reported that hospital staff managed to rescue 44 infants, though 16 are critically injured. Images taken during the incident depicted devastated parents gathered outside the facility, grappling with heartache and confusion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to the tragedy on social media, expressing his condolences and describing the incident as “heart-wrenching.” Following the fire, the Uttar Pradesh state government vowed to provide financial assistance to the families affected, announcing a compensation package of 500,000 rupees (approximately $5,900).
Adding to the distress, state deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak revealed that a safety review of the hospital was conducted earlier this year, alongside a fire drill in June, raising questions about the implementation of safety protocols. This incident marks the second tragic hospital fire in India within six months that has resulted in the loss of newborn lives, bringing heightened scrutiny to safety measures in medical facilities across the nation.
Heart-wrenching testimonies from distraught parents narrate a desperate scene of frantic attempts to save their children. Relatives were seen breaking windows to enter the ward as the flames spread, with some parents recounting they “grabbed any child they could” after finding their way through the smoke-filled chaos. One grieving grandmother conveyed the despair felt by many, as the nurses struggled to push the overwhelmed parents out of the room amid the frantic situation.
Among the grievous losses, three infants remain unidentified, leaving their families in a state of anguish and uncertainty. Santoshi, a mother whose 10-day-old baby is still unaccounted for, expressed her pain, saying there was little she could do amidst the chaos. “How could I? When no one was able to get inside, how could anyone hand me my baby?” she lamented to ANI.
Local officials reported that hospital staff managed to rescue 44 infants, though 16 are critically injured. Images taken during the incident depicted devastated parents gathered outside the facility, grappling with heartache and confusion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to the tragedy on social media, expressing his condolences and describing the incident as “heart-wrenching.” Following the fire, the Uttar Pradesh state government vowed to provide financial assistance to the families affected, announcing a compensation package of 500,000 rupees (approximately $5,900).
Adding to the distress, state deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak revealed that a safety review of the hospital was conducted earlier this year, alongside a fire drill in June, raising questions about the implementation of safety protocols. This incident marks the second tragic hospital fire in India within six months that has resulted in the loss of newborn lives, bringing heightened scrutiny to safety measures in medical facilities across the nation.
