10 newborns dead in Jhansi hospital blaze, expired fire extinguishers found

Jhansi Hospital Fire: An eyewitness told India Today that the fire broke out after a nurse lit a matchstick inside the ward to fix the pipe of an oxygen cylinder.

In Short

• Preliminary probe says fire extinguishers expired four years ago
• Safety alarms also did not go off, delaying the evacuation
• Fire is said to have been caused due to a short circuit

Expired fire extinguishers were found at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi where 10 newborns died in a massive blaze. The safety alarms also did not go off, delaying evacuation at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College on Friday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a high-level probe into the incident and sought a report by Saturday evening. The Chief Minister has also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased children and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.

The fire is said to have been caused due to a short circuit. The Samajwadi Party blamed the carelessness of the administration for the tragedy, saying a short circuit on Friday afternoon was overlooked.

Jhansi Hospital Fire: Latest Developments

1. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the filling date mentioned on the fire extinguisher cylinders was 2019 and the expiry was 2020. After the fire broke out, the fire alarm also did not go off.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident was heart-wrenching. Apart from the aid announced by the state government, PM Modi said an additional Rs 2 lakh each would be provided to the families of the deceased from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
3. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the health portfolio, said, prima facie, the fire was triggered due to a short circuit inside the oxygen concentrator. However, an eyewitness told India Today that the fire broke out after a nurse lit a matchstick inside the ward to fix the pipe of an oxygen cylinder.
4. The Samajwadi Party said government hospitals have become a den of misery, corruption and negligence. In a swipe at the Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav asked Adityanath to leave the Maharashtra poll campaign and focus on the poor condition of health and medical facilities in the state.
5. The fire, which broke out in the ward around 10.30 pm on Friday, led to a stampede-like situation in the hospital. It took more than two hours to douse the blaze. Visuals showed the equipment in the ward where the newborns were kept was fully charred.