A devastating fire swept through a neonatal intensive care unit in northern India late Friday, killing 10 newborn babies and injuring 16 others, as questions emerged about the hospital’s safety protocols and emergency response time.
The blaze at the Jhansi hospital in Uttar Pradesh state rapidly engulfed the ward housing 55 infants, though rescuers managed to save 45 babies, according to local official Bimal Kumar Dubey. Firefighters had to break through windows to reach the newborns as smoke filled the unit.
“We will identify those responsible for this tragedy and take strict action. The government stands with families during this difficult time,” said Brajesh Pathak, the state’s deputy chief minister, who visited the hospital Saturday and promised support for victims’ families.
Parents and witnesses reported critical safety failures, saying fire alarms installed in the intensive care unit failed to activate. Hospital staff only responded after visually detecting smoke and flames, with rescue operations beginning approximately 30 minutes after the fire started.
“If the safety alarm had worked, we could have acted sooner and saved more lives,” said Naresh Kumar, who lost his child in the tragedy. Another parent, Akhtar Hussain, whose son survived and is receiving treatment, emphasized that better safety protocols could have prevented the catastrophe.
The incident highlights persistent safety concerns in India’s healthcare facilities, where building codes and safety regulations are often poorly enforced. The country has a history of deadly fires attributed to inadequate maintenance and substandard firefighting equipment.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire and the hospital’s emergency response procedures. The delay in evacuation efforts has become a particular focus of the inquiry, as witnesses reported crucial minutes lost before rescue operations began.
The tragedy represents one of India’s deadliest hospital fires involving newborns and has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety standards in healthcare facilities across the country.
