10 children died and 16 were injured in a fire in the children’s ward of Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh on Friday night. District Magistrate (DM) Avinash Kumar said that a fire broke out in the NICU of Maharani Lakshmi Bai Medical College at around 10.45 pm on Friday night. The children who were on the outskirts of the NICU were saved.
DM said that till now the death of 10 children has been reported. Avinash Kumar said that less serious patients are admitted to the outer part of the NICU while more serious patients are kept in the inner part.
16 children are undergoing treatment
Commissioner Jhansi Bimal Kumar Dubey, who reached the hospital around midnight, said there were around 30 babies in the NICU interior and most of them were saved. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jhansi Sudha Singh said on Saturday that 16 other children injured in the incident are undergoing treatment. At the time of the incident, more than 50 children were admitted in NICU.
Jhansi police, in a brief statement on social media, said a fire brigade was dispatched to the spot, while senior district officials also reached the medical college. A couple living in the nearby Mahoba district said that the child was born at 8 am on November 13. The grief-stricken mother said that her child died in the fire.
CM Yogi expressed grief
According to a statement issued in Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the incident and directed district administration officials to ensure proper treatment of the injured. He posted, the death of children in an accident in the NICU of the Medical College located in Jhansi district is extremely sad and heartbreaking. District administration and concerned officials have been instructed to carry out relief and rescue operations on a war footing. He also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. The Chief Minister directed the district administration officials and fire brigade vehicles to reach the spot and expedite the relief work.
Brajesh Pathak reached Jhansi
Meanwhile, on the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi, Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak has reached Jhansi. Here he said that a fire safety audit was conducted in February. Mock drill was also held in June. How and why this incident happened can be said only after the investigation report comes. The bodies of 7 newborns have been identified, 3 bodies have not been identified yet. Financial assistance will be provided to the families of newborn babies.
#WATCH Jhansi Medical College Fire tragedy UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak says, “In February, the fire safety audit was done. In June, a mock drill was also done. How this incident happened and why it happened, we can only say something about it once the probe report comes…7 pic.twitter.com/KTQe1Y5Sc3
— Desk (@Desk) November 16, 2024
State Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who is handling the health and medical department, said in a post on Twitter that the death of several newborns in the unfortunate accident of fire in the NICU of Maharani Lakshmibai Medical College, Jhansi is extremely sad and heartbreaking. Brajesh Pathak said that instructions have been given to the district administration and concerned officials to conduct relief and rescue operations on war footing. It is a prayer to Lord Shri Ram to grant peace to the virtuous souls and speedy recovery to the injured.
Order for high level inquiry into the incident
Brajesh Pathak said that orders have been given for a high level investigation into the incident. In every situation the cause of the incident will be found out. If there has been negligence then action will be taken.
Instructions to submit report within 12 hours
The statement said that CM Yogi directed Commissioner Bimal Kumar Dubey and Deputy Inspector General (Jhansi Police Range) Kalanidhi Naithani to submit a report on the matter within 12 hours. Jhansi Lok Sabha MP Anurag Sharma said that I am extremely saddened by this incident. He said that he is out of the station at this time. After some time of the incident, Sadar MLA Ravi Sharma also reached the hospital.
fire caused by short circuit
BJP MLA Rajiv Singh Paricha said that this is a very sad and unfortunate incident. 10 newborn babies died in the fire, about 35 newborn babies were saved. Doctors are providing the best treatment to injured newborns. Are in touch with the doctors of the medical college. Prima facie the cause of the fire seems to be short circuit.
In the early hours of Saturday, SSP Sudha Singh said that 16 injured children are being treated and efforts are on to save their lives. He said that all the doctors along with adequate medical facilities are available for them. Reiterating the DM’s comment on the cause of the incident, the SSP said that prima facie the fire appears to have been caused by a short circuit.
Major accident due to fire in NICU
SSP Sudha Singh said that, however, investigation has been started to find out under what circumstances or due to whose laxity this happened. The district police chief said that 10 children died and others were either rescued or found injured, adding that there were also reports that some parents took their children home after the fire in the NICU. He said that the police is trying to verify the number of children admitted in NICU and their current condition.
He said that the Medical College has informed that 52 to 54 children were admitted at the time of the incident. Of them, 10 died, 16 are undergoing treatment while verification of others is underway. He said at around 1 am, the rescue operation in NICU has been completed. The Government Medical College started services in 1968 and is one of the largest government hospitals in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.
