Sat Nov 16 15:58:29 UTC 2024: ## Jhansi Hospital Fire Kills 10 Infants; 45 Rescued
**Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India** – A devastating fire at the Maharani Lakshmibai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, claimed the lives of 10 infants on Friday night. The blaze erupted in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While 45 infants were successfully rescued, the tragedy has left families heartbroken and sparked outrage.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and panic as the fire spread. Kripal Singh Rajput, who helped rescue approximately 20 babies, recounted a nurse running from the NICU with burns, alerting them to the danger. He and others rushed in, pulling infants to safety, some of whom were on oxygen support or in critical condition. Another eyewitness, Rishabh Yadav, stated that there were about 50 babies in the NICU when the fire started, and many parents are still unsure of their children’s fate.
The cause of the fire is believed to be a short circuit that led to overheating of medical equipment. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, has announced a compensation of 500,000 rupees for the families of each deceased infant and 50,000 rupees for families of seriously injured infants. Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak visited the site immediately following the incident.
Opposition parties have criticized the state government’s response. Akhilesh Yadav, former Chief Minister and president of the Samajwadi Party, called for the government to focus on healthcare instead of election campaigning and demanded 10 million rupees in compensation for each deceased infant’s family. The tragedy has left the community mourning and demanding accountability.
First Piper 