Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed deep sorrow over the tragic fire at Jhansi’s Maharani Laxmibai Medical College, where 10 newborn babies lost their lives. The fire, which broke out late Friday night in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), resulted in the deaths of several infants, with many others injured due to burns and suffocation. Modi described the incident as “heartbreaking” and extended his condolences to the families who lost their children.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi wrote, “Heartbreaking! The fire accident at Jhansi Medical College in Uttar Pradesh is heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences to those who lost their innocent children in this. I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this immense loss.” He assured that every effort was being made by local authorities, under the Uttar Pradesh government’s supervision, to provide relief and conduct rescue operations.
The fire broke out in the NICU, which was overcrowded with 49 babies, despite having a capacity of only 18 beds. Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak, who visited Jhansi on Saturday morning, confirmed the deaths of 10 babies. Seven of the deceased have been identified, while efforts are underway to identify the remaining three. The fire, believed to have been triggered by a short circuit in an oxygen concentrator, spread rapidly due to the highly oxygenated environment in the NICU.
The Uttar Pradesh government, under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh for the families of the deceased babies. Families of the injured children will receive ₹50,000 each. CM Yogi also directed the Divisional Commissioner and DIG of Jhansi to submit a detailed report on the incident within 12 hours.
Authorities are conducting multi-level investigations into the cause of the fire, with opposition parties alleging that a short circuit in hospital equipment had occurred earlier on Friday, which was allegedly overlooked by hospital management.
In response to the tragedy, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) reiterated that local authorities, under the supervision of the state government, were doing everything in their power to assist the victims and ensure swift action.
