Four newborns die in hospital fire in India

At least four newborns died when a fire broke out in the neonatal ward of a hospital in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Firefighters were able to save 36 babies from the Kamla Nehru Children’s Hospital in Bhopal on Monday night.

Disturbing visuals show parents trying to rush into the smoke-filled hospital.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained but officials said an electrical short circuit could be a reason.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the incident was painful. He ordered an inquiry and announced to pay 400,000 rupees (£4000; $5400) to the families of the victims.

The fire broke at around 21:00 local time, plunging the hospital into darkness. Visuals show angry parents trying to enter to save their babies as the hospital’s security stuff struggle to stop them.

Firefighters took three hours to douse the blaze.

Hospitals fires in India are not uncommon as safety standards are not always strictly followed.

On Sunday, 11 patients died in a Covid ICU of a hospital in Maharashtra state when a fire broke out. An inquiry has been ordered to know the cause of the fire.

Source: BBC
-Agencies