India: at least 10 babies killed in fire

AAt least ten newborns were killed in a fire, attributed to an electrical fault, in the neonatal unit of a hospital in Jhansi, in northern India, local authorities announced on Saturday. The fire broke out at around 10:30 p.m. (6 p.m. in Belgium) on Friday at the Maharani Lakshmibai University Hospital in Jhansi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, about 450 km south of the capital New Delhi.

Video images broadcast by televisions showed charred beds and walls inside the ward, and crowds of distressed families waiting outside the facility. The nursing staff placed IVs on the rescued babies, all only a few days old, lying side by side on another hospital bed.

“Ten children have unfortunately died,” said the state’s number two, Brajesh Pathak, to journalists who questioned him about the fire. Seven bodies out of the ten have so far been identified, he added.

According to the Indian newspaper Times Now, 16 other newborns are in critical condition. NDTV reported that 54 children were in the neonatal intensive care unit when the fire broke out.

According to Mr Pathak, a safety audit of the hospital was carried out in February, followed by a fire drill three months later. “The cause of the fire will be investigated,” he added. “If any breaches are noted, strict action will be taken against those responsible and no one will be spared.”