10 newborn babies died and at least 16 children were injured in a fire that broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit in Uttar Pradesh, northern India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on

How did the fire start?

The fire broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit of Jhansi city’s Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College around 22:45 local time (0515 GMT) on Friday, local officials said.

55 babies were treated in the ward. Local official Bimal Kumar Dubey said 45 babies were rescued and receiving treatment. Authorities said the fire quickly spread throughout the ward.

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak said the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in the oxygen concentrator.

“Seven bodies have been identified. Three bodies have not been identified yet,” he said.

Pathak said, “We will identify those responsible for this tragedy and take strict action. The government stands with the families during this difficult time.” he added.

Some eyewitnesses told the AP news agency that rescue efforts began only half an hour after the fire broke out. Fire alarms in the hospital did not work, and hospital staff only took action when they saw smoke and fire. Questions are being raised about the hospital’s security measures.

“If the security alarm had worked, we could have taken action earlier and saved more lives,” said Naresh Kumar, a parent who lost his child.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the state will pay compensation of ₹500,000 ($5,900 or €5,595) to the families of the victims.

Fires frequently occur in India, linked to construction practices and poor enforcement of safety regulations. Inadequate maintenance and low-quality firefighting equipment also increase the number of fires. Six months ago, seven newborn babies died in a similar fire at a hospital in Delhi.

tg/lo (AFP, AP)