Ten neonates were murdered in a hospital fire in northern India

Ten infants were killed and seventeen injured after a fire tore through a hospital’s neonatal section in northern India, according to the authorities.

Brajesh Pathak, the deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, stated on Saturday that emergency personnel had saved 38 babies from the ward, which had contained 49 infants at the time of the incident.

The Maharani Lakshmibai Medical College in Jhansi, which is roughly 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of the capital, New Delhi, was the scene of the fire on Friday at 10:30 p.m. (17:00 GMT).

In Jhansi, Pathak informed reporters that 17 injured people were being treated in various wards and private hospitals.

The infants perished from asphyxia and burns. According to Pathak, attempts were on to identify the remaining three of the deceased infants, while seven of them had already been recognized.

Staff connected the rescued infants, who were all just a few days old, to intravenous drips as they were placed side by side on a bed in another part of the hospital.

The ward was covered in smoke and flames when the firefighters arrived. To get to the infants, rescuers had to smash through glass.

The event has prompted concerns about the facility’s safety protocols.

Parents and witnesses claimed that although the intensive care unit had fire alarms, they did not sound during the fire, and medical personnel only took action after noticing the smoke and flames.

“We could have taken action sooner and saved more lives if the safety alarm had worked,” parent Naresh Kumar, who lost his infant, told The Associated Press news agency.

Akhtar Hussain, whose son was rescued and was being treated in an adjacent ward, said the tragedy could have been prevented if the hospital had better safety protocols.

According to a government official who begged not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media, one baby is still missing, the Reuters news agency reported.

According to Pathak, the facility underwent a safety audit in February and a fire exercise three months later.

“Strict action will be taken against those responsible and no one will be spared if any lapses are found,” he declared.

After trying to save the neonates and put out the fire, a nurse named Meghna had burn injuries to her leg, according to the Indian Express newspaper.

An electrical short circuit in the factory was the cause of the incident, district administrator Avinash Kumar told The Hindustan Times newspaper.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the deaths “heart-wrenching” in a post on social media.

“My deepest condolences to those who lost their innocent children in this,” Modi wrote. “I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this immense loss.”

Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, pledged $5,900 in compensation for each family affected by the loss.

India has a high rate of building fires because of poor construction and a habitual disrespect for safety rules. Deaths could result from inadequate firefighting supplies and poor upkeep.

Seven newborns were murdered six months ago in a similar fire at a children’s hospital in New Delhi.

In Kerala, a massive explosion involving fireworks last month harmed hundreds of people.