NEW DELHI: A devastating fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, late on Friday night. The blaze, suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, claimed the lives of at least 10 children and left 16 others injured, according to District Magistrate Avinash Kumar. The incident occurred around 10:45 PM, and efforts to rescue the infants were promptly initiated, with several children from the outer section of the NICU saved.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound grief over the tragedy and extended condolences to the bereaved families. “Heartbreaking! The fire accident at Jhansi Medical College is heart-wrenching,” Modi stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter. He also prayed for the strength of the affected families and commended the local administration for their ongoing relief and rescue operations under the supervision of the Uttar Pradesh state government.
The NICU at the medical college was divided into sections for critically and less critically ill newborns. While some children in the outer section were successfully evacuated, the inner section, where the more critical cases were housed, bore the brunt of the tragedy. Initial investigations suggest that an electrical fault may have triggered the fire, but further inquiries are underway.
This heartbreaking incident has sparked widespread sorrow and raised questions about safety protocols in sensitive hospital areas. Authorities have promised a thorough investigation and enhanced measures to prevent such disasters in the future, even as the state government monitors relief efforts to support the affected families.
