Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi witnessed a tragic fire in the infant ward late Friday night due to a short circuit. According to reports, the disaster claimed the lives of 10 children while 37 were safely rescued. The fire caused chaos within the hospital, leading to a heartbreaking loss for many families.
Grief Shared by Victim Families
Speaking with Aaj Tak, the anguish of the father, Kuldeep, was palpable. He shared that his son has been missing for 7-8 hours. He mentioned that no official has yet come to assist them. Kuldeep explained that during the incident, there were about 50 children in the ward. When the fire broke out, only those whose children were there managed to enter and save their kids.
However, Sanjana from Lalitpur harbors no anger, only immense sorrow and pain. When questioned about her child's condition, Sanjana softly responds, 'Our child is burned.' 'How much?' she replies, 'We haven't seen... completely.' 'Alive?' she says, 'No.' This was Sanjana's firstborn.
Yakub, who rescued children from the ward, shared that accessing the main gate was impossible, so they shattered the windows with bricks and stones to save the kids. Meanwhile, others ran away with the children. Another person present at the hospital revealed that their child had also died in the incident. The child was initially delivered in a private hospital in Lalitpur before being referred to the government hospital, where the fire, unfortunately, took their life.
10 Dead, 16 Injured
The devastating fire at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Jhansi's Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College last night resulted in at least 10 children's deaths, with 16 others seriously injured. The incident is attributed to a short circuit.
The fire led to panic, causing relatives and patients to flee for safety, creating a stampede-like situation. The fire brigade managed to arrive and safely evacuate 37 children. At the time of the fire, a total of 54 children were admitted to the NICU.
Directives from CM Yogi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the incident as "gut-wrenching" and directed the provision of top-notch medical care for those injured. He wrote on X, 'The tragedy in the NICU of Jhansi district's medical college, where children perished, is immensely saddening and heart-wrenching. Orders have been given to district officials and related personnel to undertake relief and rescue operations on a war footing. I pray to Lord Shri Ram for the departed souls' peace and speedy recovery of the injured.'
Cause of the Fire
The preliminary investigation points towards a short circuit as the cause of the fire. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) indicated that a detailed probe is underway to ascertain the circumstances or negligence behind the fire. He also noted that post-incident, some parents took their children home. The condition of the children admitted to the NICU is being verified. The medical college reported that at the time of the accident, there were approximately 52 to 54 children in the NICU, out of which 10 died, and 16 are under treatment.
Established in 1968, this government medical college is among the largest hospitals in the Bundelkhand region. The rescue operations within the NICU were completed by 1 AM after the incident. Officials stated that all facts related to the incident will be investigated, and a report will be made public.
