Ten newborn babies have been killed by a fire which tore through a neonatal intensive care unit at a hospital in India, authorities said.
The fire occurred at a hospital in Jhansi city in northern India on Friday night, with the blaze spreading quickly through the ward where 55 infants were being treated.
45 babies were rescued, with 16 of those critically injured, but ten were killed, said Bimal Kumar Dubey, a local official.
It was not immediately clear what started the fire and the government promised a thorough investigation to the victims’ families.
“We will identify those responsible for this tragedy and take strict action. The government stands with families during this difficult time,” Brajesh Pathak, the deputy chief minister of the state, said.
Rescuers had to break through windows to reach the newborn babies, with eyewitnesses claiming the rescue operation began about 30 minutes after the fire erupted, delaying evacuation efforts.
While fire alarms had been installed in the intensive care unit, parents and witnesses said they did not activate during the blaze and hospital staff acted only after they saw signs of smoke and fire.
“If the safety alarm had worked, we could have acted sooner and saved more lives,” said Naresh Kumar, a parent who lost his baby.
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