Jhansi Hospital Fire: A Tragic Incident Claims 10 Newborn Lives; CM Orders Probe

Jhansi Hospital Fire: Devastating NICU Blaze Claims 10 Newborn Lives, Injures Many; Probe Ordered and Relief Measures Announced

A tragic incident was reported early yesterday morning following a fire in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Maharani Laxmibai Medical College, Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi. According to the authorities, ten newborn babies lost their lives in the incident. The fatal accident reportedly resulted from an electrical short circuit.

The very distraught and grieved families along with the officials are in shock over the tragic incident. The fire that spread very fast in the NICU due to the oxygen-rich atmosphere caused severe injury to several other infants too before it could be brought under control, and in all, 37 children were rescued from the site.

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A Tragedy Unfolds
As many as 49 children were admitted to the NICU when the tragedy occurred-even though it was meant to accommodate only 18. Overcrowding exacerbated the disaster, and thick smoke and flames made rescue operations extremely challenging. Of the total 17 injured infants in Jhansi Hospital Fire Tragic Accident, treatment is being provided in the hospital’s emergency wing and various private hospitals, and seven critically injured infants are admitted in private hospitals. Till date efforts are still made to identify three of the babies who have not been traced to their families.

Cause and Immediate Response
The Jhansi Hospital fire took place at the hospital at around 10:45 PM due to an electrical short circuit, said District Magistrate Avinash Kumar. Eyewitness accounts said that smoke came out from the NICU area and there was chaos and panic.  Even though there was timely response by fire fighters and army personnel too, the fire spread so fast that little time was left for evacuation. Rescuers, who encountered severe blockage by thick smoke and fire blocking many exits, didn’t get enough time to rescue all the babies.

Fire brigade fire engines worked day and night to douse the fire. Rescue operations were completed by 1 AM. You can find videos of desperate evacuation efforts by frantic relatives in a bid to seek news about their children online.

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Official Responses and Relief Operations
The Jhansi Hospital Fire tragedy has hogged the headlines across the nation. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the families of the deceased and assured the state government was leaving no stone unturned to provide relief and rescue for all. “Heartbreaking! The fire accident at Jhansi Medical College is heart-wrenching,” he said. The Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath also reacted saying the incident was “extremely sad and heartbreaking.” He ordered a detailed inquiry by the divisional commissioner and the deputy inspector general of police. A report was to be submitted within 12 hours. He also announced ex-gratia compensation of ₹5 lakh to the families of the dead and ₹50,000 to those injured.

Deputy CM Pathak has assured that medical expenses incurred for the treatment of children already present at private hospitals will be covered by the state government. A magisterial inquiry has also begun to probe lapses everywhere they have contributed to this incident.

A Hospital Under Scrutiny
A long saga of examining and admitting patients was on at Maharani Laxmibai Medical College, which dates back to 1968. One of the largest government hospitals in the Bundelkhand region, the major fire highlighted problems of overcrowding and infrastructure limitations. It has been reported that the NICU was grossly overburdened. The tragedy has raised questions about the preparedness of the hospital to face emergencies and whether facilities were able enough in terms of handling emergencies in such places.

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Stories of Grief and Loss
The human cost of the tragedy in terms of lives lost cannot be calculated. One mother, who had given birth on 13th November, narrated how she had lost her child: “My child has been killed in the fire.” Families from adjacent districts like Mahoba stood outside the hospital, waiting to know about their dear ones.

#WATCH | Jhansi Medical College Fire tragedy | UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak says, " In February, the fire safety audit was done. In June, a mock drill was also done. How this incident happened and why it happened, we can only say something about it once the probe report comes…7… pic.twitter.com/KTQe1Y5Sc3

— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2024

Meanwhile, the authorities are counseling and addressing the families affected by the incident. “This is an unimaginable loss for any parent,” said a senior official. “We are doing everything possible to offer them solace and assistance. Efforts are also being made on the accountability front so that tragedies like these do not recur. The investigation into the fire will look into the case of negligence or a procedural lapse that may have contributed to the accident. There is also growing demand for better safety measures and more efficient capacity management in public hospitals.

The Jhansi NICU fire reminds us very harshly of the need for strict safety standards in health care to be followed within health care premises, especially within critical care units. While no amount of compensation or investigation by the authorities can compensate for the pain of losing a newborn child, it is a tremendous step toward giving justice to the victims and preventing such tragedies from recurring in the future.

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