North News
Jhansi (Lucknow), November 16
A fire at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, claimed the lives of 10 newborns and left at least 16 others critically injured late Thursday night, officials said. The blaze, believed to have been caused by a short circuit in an oxygen concentrator, broke out around 10:45 p.m., according to District Magistrate Avinash Kumar.
A total of 54 children were in the NICU when the fire erupted. Swift action by staff and emergency responders led to the rescue of 44 babies, Kumar added. Seven of the deceased have been identified, and DNA testing may be used to confirm the identities of the remaining three, officials said, citing preliminary reports, the news outlet the NDTV reported.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured following a tragic incident in the NICU of a medical college in Jhansi district. Terming the death of children as “extremely sad and heartbreaking,” the Chief Minister directed the district administration and officials to expedite relief and rescue operations. “I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant peace to the departed souls and a swift recovery to the injured,” he said.Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy and announced compensation for the victims. “An ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh will be provided to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured from the PMNRF,” read a statement posted by the Prime Minister’s Office on X.
