Tragedy in India: Fire claims lives of 10 newborns in hospital

Ten newborn babies tragically died from burns and suffocation after a fire broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit of Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh, India, late on Friday night.

The blaze erupted in the unit, which housed 49 infants, leading to frantic rescue efforts by emergency responders. Thirty-eight newborns were successfully evacuated from the ward, according to Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak.

“Seventeen of the injured are receiving treatment in different wings and private hospitals,” Pathak said during a briefing in Jhansi. He confirmed that seven of the deceased infants have been identified, while authorities are working to identify the remaining three. One infant remains unaccounted for, a government official disclosed, speaking anonymously.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the “heart-wrenching” tragedy. “My deepest condolences to those who lost their innocent children in this,” Modi wrote on X. “I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this immense loss.”