At least ten newborn babies have died in a fire in the neonatology department of a hospital in the Indian city of Jhansi. Another sixteen babies are in critical condition.
News channel reported that.
The fire broke out at around 10:30 pm yesterday at the MLBMC hospital in the city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in northern India. According to broadcaster NDTV, 54 babies were in the neonatal intensive care unit when the fire broke out. Seven bodies have been identified, three not yet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the deaths “heartbreaking” in a message on .
It is currently assumed that the fire was caused by a short circuit. A safety investigation was conducted at the hospital in February and a fire drill was conducted in July, authorities report.
Fires are common in India due to poor construction practices and non-compliance with safety regulations.
