SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - A fire broke out in a neonatal intensive care unit at a hospital in India, resulting in the deaths of 10 newborns and leaving 16 others critically injured.
According to news reports on Saturday, the fire occurred at 10:45 p.m. the previous day at Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, about 450 kilometers south of New Delhi.
Local fire authorities reported that 49 newborns were in the hospital at the time of the incident. The fire claimed 10 lives, and 16 critically injured infants were transferred to other hospitals.
The fire reportedly started in the neonatal intensive care unit, likely due to a malfunction in a machine used to increase oxygen levels in the air.
The Uttar Pradesh government said a safety audit of the hospital had been conducted in February, followed by a fire drill in May. The government announced that it would investigate the cause of the fire and take strict action against those found responsible for any negligence.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences via X (formerly Twitter), calling the incident "heartbreaking" and extending sympathy to the families who lost their innocent children in the tragedy.
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