A massive fire broke out at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a medical college in Jhansi on Friday night, killing 10 children. District Magistrate (DM) Avinash Kumar told reporters that the fire broke out around 10.45 pm at the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

An electrical short circuit inside the oxygen concentrator is being cited as the likely cause of the fire. “Prima facie there is information of the death of 10 children,” the DM said. Officials say the number of dead is likely to go up.

Seven of the 10 victims have been identified, as per an official. DNA testing will be done to identify the rest if needed.

Officials said that at least 54 children were in the NICU at the time of the incident. Those who were in the outer area of the NICU were rescued, and some from the inner area were also saved. A total of 44 children are reported to have been rescued. Sixteen of those injured are reportedly in critical condition. Kumar said the more critical patients are admitted to the inner section of the NICU.

According to Divisional Commissioner Jhansi Bimal Kumar Dubey, around 30 children were in the interior section of the NICU and most of them were rescued.

On Saturday morning, parents of the surviving children gathered outside the hospital, demanding to meet them. Angry relatives are camping at the hospital after they were stopped from seeing the children. They earlier tried blocking the road were stopped.

As per reports, parents are being allowed to meet their children to avoid any confusion over the identities of the infants.&nbsp;

<h2>Systems weren't maintained properly: Reports</h2>

Reports quoting sources allege that fire alarms at the hospital did not go off, with accusations that emergency systems weren't serviced and maintained.

A fire brigade was immediately sent to battle the blaze, with senior officers of the district also reaching the medical college at night.&nbsp;

Unverified videos of the incident on social media showed patients and their caretakers being evacuated, with police personnel helping with rescue and relief measures.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials of the district administration to ensure proper treatment to the injured. He issued a statement on the matter.

“The death of children in an accident that took place in the NICU of the medical college located in Jhansi district is extremely sad and heartbreaking. The district administration and concerned officials have been instructed to conduct relief and rescue operations on a war footing,” he posted in Hindi on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi&nbsp;has announced Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the victims' families and Rs 50,000 for the injured.&nbsp;

A massive fire broke out at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a medical college in Jhansi on Friday night, killing 10 children. District Magistrate (DM) Avinash Kumar told reporters that the fire broke out around 10.

A massive fire broke out at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a medical college in Jhansi on Friday night, killing 10 children. District Magistrate (DM) Avinash Kumar told reporters that the fire broke out around 10.45 pm at the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in the state of Uttar Pradesh. An electrical short circuit inside the oxygen concentrator is being cited as the likely cause of the fire. “Prima facie there is information of the death of 10 children,” the DM said. Officials say the number of dead is likely to go up. Seven of the 10 victims have been identified, as per an official. DNA testing will be done to identify the rest if needed. Officials said that at least 54 children were in the NICU at the time of the incident. Those who were in the outer area of the NICU were rescued, and some from the inner area were also saved. A total of 44 children are reported to have been rescued. Sixteen of those injured are reportedly in critical condition. Kumar said the more critical patients are admitted to the inner section of the NICU. According to Divisional Commissioner Jhansi Bimal Kumar Dubey, around 30 children were in the interior section of the NICU and most of them were rescued. On Saturday morning, parents of the surviving children gathered outside the hospital, demanding to meet them. Angry relatives are camping at the hospital after they were stopped from seeing the children. They earlier tried blocking the road were stopped. As per reports, parents are being allowed to meet their children to avoid any confusion over the identities of the infants. Systems weren't maintained properly: Reports Reports quoting sources allege that fire alarms at the hospital did not go off, with accusations that emergency systems weren't serviced and maintained. A fire brigade was immediately sent to battle the blaze, with senior officers of the district also reaching the medical college at night. Unverified videos of the incident on social media showed patients and their caretakers being evacuated, with police personnel helping with rescue and relief measures. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials of the district administration to ensure proper treatment to the injured. He issued a statement on the matter. “The death of children in an accident that took place in the NICU of the medical college located in Jhansi district is extremely sad and heartbreaking. The district administration and concerned officials have been instructed to conduct relief and rescue operations on a war footing,” he posted in Hindi on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the victims' families and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Jhansi hospital fire kills 10 newborns, chaos erupts as parents protest to meet survivors

Efforts are going on to bring&nbsp;a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon. On Friday (Nov 15), a Lebanese official told the news agency AFP that Beirut was studying a 13-point truce proposal presented by the United States (US).&nbsp;

A tragic incident has occurred in India.&nbsp;A massive fire broke out at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a medical college in Jhansi on Friday night, killing 10 children. Seven of the 10 victims have been identified.

In other news from around the world, a major aviation disaster was averted after an American Airlines flight travelling from Hawaii to Los Angeles climbed&nbsp;up at dramatic speed to avoid colliding with a mountain range.

Click on the headlines to read more:

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/west-asia-crisis-lebanon-says-its-studying-us-truce-proposal-in-israel-hezbollah-conflict-776599">West Asia crisis: Lebanon says it's studying US truce proposal in Israel-Hezbollah conflict</a>

<img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2024/11/16/466297-untitled-design-1.png?imwidth=400" />

Lebanon said on Friday (Nov 15) that it was studying a United States (US) truce proposal for the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-aligned Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.&nbsp;Speaking to the news agency AFP, a Lebanese government official said&nbsp;US Ambassador Lisa Johnson discussed with senior Lebanese officials on Thursday a 13-point proposal.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jhansi-hospital-fire-10-children-dead-as-massive-blaze-engulfs-nicu-of-medical-college-776580">Jhansi hospital fire: 10 children dead as massive blaze engulfs NICU of medical college</a>

<img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2024/11/16/466286-stories-50.png?imwidth=400" />

A massive fire broke out at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a medical college in Jhansi on Friday night, killing 10 children. District Magistrate (DM) Avinash Kumar told reporters that the fire broke out around 10.45 pm at the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hawaii-flight-climbs-up-at-dramatic-speed-to-avoid-colliding-with-mountain-range-776570">Hawaii flight climbs up at dramatic speed to avoid colliding with mountain range</a>

<img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2024/11/16/466279-stories-49.png?imwidth=400" />

A flight that took off from the Hawaii airport on Wednesday night was on a path towards a major mountain range and could have crashed into it because of an error. Thankfully, air traffic control intervened on time, avoiding a major disaster.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-250000-flee-as-super-typhoon-man-yi-nears-philippines-776622">Over 250,000 flee as Super Typhoon Man-yi nears Philippines</a>

<img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2024/11/16/466315-00036ml4lx.jpg?imwidth=400" />

A powerful storm sweeping towards the Philippines intensified into a super typhoon on Saturday, the state weather forecaster said, warning of "significant to severe impacts" from the wind and "life-threatening" storm surges.

&nbsp;

Watch | World DNA: Ukraine war to end sooner with Trump in office, says Zelensky

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Efforts are going on to bring a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon. On Friday (Nov 15), a Lebanese official told the news agency AFP that Beirut was studying a 13-point truce proposal presented by the United States (US).

Efforts are going on to bring a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon. On Friday (Nov 15), a Lebanese official told the news agency AFP that Beirut was studying a 13-point truce proposal presented by the United States (US). A tragic incident has occurred in India. A massive fire broke out at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a medical college in Jhansi on Friday night, killing 10 children. Seven of the 10 victims have been identified. In other news from around the world, a major aviation disaster was averted after an American Airlines flight travelling from Hawaii to Los Angeles climbed up at dramatic speed to avoid colliding with a mountain range. Click on the headlines to read more: West Asia crisis: Lebanon says it's studying US truce proposal in Israel-Hezbollah conflict Lebanon said on Friday (Nov 15) that it was studying a United States (US) truce proposal for the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-aligned Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Speaking to the news agency AFP, a Lebanese government official said US Ambassador Lisa Johnson discussed with senior Lebanese officials on Thursday a 13-point proposal. Jhansi hospital fire: 10 children dead as massive blaze engulfs NICU of medical college A massive fire broke out at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a medical college in Jhansi on Friday night, killing 10 children. District Magistrate (DM) Avinash Kumar told reporters that the fire broke out around 10.45 pm at the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Hawaii flight climbs up at dramatic speed to avoid colliding with mountain range A flight that took off from the Hawaii airport on Wednesday night was on a path towards a major mountain range and could have crashed into it because of an error. Thankfully, air traffic control intervened on time, avoiding a major disaster. Over 250,000 flee as Super Typhoon Man-yi nears Philippines A powerful storm sweeping towards the Philippines intensified into a super typhoon on Saturday, the state weather forecaster said, warning of "significant to severe impacts" from the wind and "life-threatening" storm surges. Watch | World DNA: Ukraine war to end sooner with Trump in office, says Zelensky ×

Morning brief: West Asia crisis updates; 10 kids dead in Jhansi hospital fire, and more

The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday (Nov 16) formed a four-member committee to probe into the fire at the children's ward of a medical college in Jhansi that snuffed out the lives of 10 newborns as officials suspect an electrical short circuit to be the cause of the tragic incident.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has already directed the Divisional Commissioner of Jhansi, the fire department and the deputy inspector general of police to submit a report on the incident within 12 hours.

Amid claims that the medical college had expired fire extinguishers, Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak asserted all firefighting equipment in the college was completely fine and a fire safety audit was carried out in February and a mock drill in June.

Principal of the medical college, Dr Narendra Singh Sengar, also termed the allegations "baseless".

The committee, to be headed by the Director General of Medical Education and Training, has been tasked with identifying the cause of the fire and determining whether any negligence was involved and asked to submit its report within seven days.

"Sixteen children are undergoing treatment in other wards of the medical college. The children, who were three to four days old, have been kept on a warmer," Pathak told PTI.

The blaze at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where the infants admitted were mostly prematurely born, has been doused but the air around is heavy with sorrow. Parents, mostly young mothers, and their families who gathered outside the children's ward clung to one another, drawing strength in their darkest hour.

Yakub Mansuri was sleeping on the pavement outside the children's ward Friday night when the fire broke out. He broke in through a window and managed to rescue some newborns but not his two daughters.

Santoshi, who gave birth just 11 days ago, sat on the ground sobbing with her face covered by her palms, not ready to accept the loss of her child.

Post-mortem of seven infants was carried out on Saturday while the autopsy of three could not be done as their parents have not been identified yet, Additional Superintendent of Police (City) of Jhansi Gyanendra Kumar Singh told PTI.

According to District Magistrate Avinash Kumar, the fire broke out around 10.45 pm on Friday in the NICU wards of the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, one of the largest government hospitals in the state's Bundelkhand region, possibly due to an electrical short circuit.

President Droupadi Murmu termed the incident "extremely heartbreaking" while Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the family of each deceased. The Uttar Pradesh government has also announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the parents of the newborns who died and Rs 50,000 to the kin of each of the injured.

The incident sparked a political blame game in the state where by-polls to nine assembly seats are to be held on November 20. Opposition parties blamed the BJP government in the state and said the deaths raise many serious questions on the administration.

The Congress targeted the Adityanath dispensation with Rahul Gandhi saying such tragic incidents happening one after another in Uttar Pradesh speak of negligence of the government and administration.

Party president Mallikarjun Kharge demanded an investigation into the accident and strict legal action against whoever was found guilty of negligence.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said Adityanath should leave the poll campaign and focus on improving the state's health and medical facilities. He also demanded that Rs 1 crore should be paid to all bereaved families, adding, "Gorakhpur should not be repeated".

A statement from the Uttar Pradesh government said that on Adityanath's directions to expedite the rescue work, senior officials took charge of the situation Friday night itself.

Most of the children were evacuated to safety within 15 to 20 minutes through the rescue operation, it said, adding that most of the infants were shifted to the PICU ward.

Expressing his condolences to the families of the deceased children, Adityanath directed the officials to provide all possible help to the victims.

At an election rally at Phulpur in Prayagraj, he said the fire was caused by a short circuit. "To ensure that other children were rescued, we were up all night coordinating (with officials) for relief and rescue efforts," he said while explaining why he was delayed in arriving at the rally.

"My heart goes out to those who lost their children," he said.

The state government also said that as soon as information about the incident was received, Adityanath sent his deputy Pathak and the principal health secretary to the spot.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwj3zLfwluGJAxWdnK8BHUOdDmYQxfQBKAB6BAgIEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/leave-election-campaign-up-cm-yogi-faces-massive-uproar-over-jhansi-hospital-tragedy-776685" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/leave-election-campaign-up-cm-yogi-faces-massive-uproar-over-jhansi-hospital-tragedy-776685&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj3zLfwluGJAxWdnK8BHUOdDmYQxfQBKAB6BAgIEAE">‘Leave election campaign,’ UP CM Yogi faces massive uproar over Jhansi hospital tragedy</a>

"Instructions have been issued to launch a three-tier probe into the incident. The Jhansi Divisional Commissioner and the DIG have been told to probe the matter and the fire department will also look into it. Along with this, instructions have also been given for a magisterial inquiry into the incident," Pathak said on X.

In another post in Hindi on X, Pathak said he has spoken to the family of the children injured in the blaze and assured them of all possible help.

Interacting with reporters, he said, "We will detect the cause of the incident and whose negligence led to it. The priority is giving quality treatment to the injured." Talking about the rescue operation, the principal of the medical college said, "The children who did not suffer any burn injury or suffocation are being taken care of at the district hospital. The rescued children have been admitted to other wards of the medical college, district hospital and private nursing homes." Earlier on Saturday, Senior Superintendent of Police Sudha Singh told reporters that 16 injured children were being treated and efforts were underway to save their lives.

Watch:&nbsp;Jhansi Tragedy: CM Yogi Seeks Fire Probe Report In 24 Hours

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There was also information that some parents took their children home after the fire erupted in the ward, she said, adding police are trying to verify the tally of infants who were in the NICU and their current status.

"The medical college has informed that 52 to 54 children were admitted at the time of the incident. While 10 of them died, 16 are undergoing treatment. Verification for others is ongoing," Singh added.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday (Nov 16) formed a four-member committee to probe into the fire at the children's ward of a medical college in Jhansi that snuffed out the lives of 10 newborns as officials suspect an electrical short circuit to be the cause of the tragic incident.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday (Nov 16) formed a four-member committee to probe into the fire at the children's ward of a medical college in Jhansi that snuffed out the lives of 10 newborns as officials suspect an electrical short circuit to be the cause of the tragic incident. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has already directed the Divisional Commissioner of Jhansi, the fire department and the deputy inspector general of police to submit a report on the incident within 12 hours. Amid claims that the medical college had expired fire extinguishers, Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak asserted all firefighting equipment in the college was completely fine and a fire safety audit was carried out in February and a mock drill in June. Principal of the medical college, Dr Narendra Singh Sengar, also termed the allegations "baseless". The committee, to be headed by the Director General of Medical Education and Training, has been tasked with identifying the cause of the fire and determining whether any negligence was involved and asked to submit its report within seven days. "Sixteen children are undergoing treatment in other wards of the medical college. The children, who were three to four days old, have been kept on a warmer," Pathak told PTI. The blaze at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where the infants admitted were mostly prematurely born, has been doused but the air around is heavy with sorrow. Parents, mostly young mothers, and their families who gathered outside the children's ward clung to one another, drawing strength in their darkest hour. Yakub Mansuri was sleeping on the pavement outside the children's ward Friday night when the fire broke out. He broke in through a window and managed to rescue some newborns but not his two daughters. Santoshi, who gave birth just 11 days ago, sat on the ground sobbing with her face covered by her palms, not ready to accept the loss of her child. Post-mortem of seven infants was carried out on Saturday while the autopsy of three could not be done as their parents have not been identified yet, Additional Superintendent of Police (City) of Jhansi Gyanendra Kumar Singh told PTI. According to District Magistrate Avinash Kumar, the fire broke out around 10.45 pm on Friday in the NICU wards of the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, one of the largest government hospitals in the state's Bundelkhand region, possibly due to an electrical short circuit. President Droupadi Murmu termed the incident "extremely heartbreaking" while Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the family of each deceased. The Uttar Pradesh government has also announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the parents of the newborns who died and Rs 50,000 to the kin of each of the injured. The incident sparked a political blame game in the state where by-polls to nine assembly seats are to be held on November 20. Opposition parties blamed the BJP government in the state and said the deaths raise many serious questions on the administration. The Congress targeted the Adityanath dispensation with Rahul Gandhi saying such tragic incidents happening one after another in Uttar Pradesh speak of negligence of the government and administration. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge demanded an investigation into the accident and strict legal action against whoever was found guilty of negligence. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said Adityanath should leave the poll campaign and focus on improving the state's health and medical facilities. He also demanded that Rs 1 crore should be paid to all bereaved families, adding, "Gorakhpur should not be repeated". A statement from the Uttar Pradesh government said that on Adityanath's directions to expedite the rescue work, senior officials took charge of the situation Friday night itself. Most of the children were evacuated to safety within 15 to 20 minutes through the rescue operation, it said, adding that most of the infants were shifted to the PICU ward. Expressing his condolences to the families of the deceased children, Adityanath directed the officials to provide all possible help to the victims. At an election rally at Phulpur in Prayagraj, he said the fire was caused by a short circuit. "To ensure that other children were rescued, we were up all night coordinating (with officials) for relief and rescue efforts," he said while explaining why he was delayed in arriving at the rally. "My heart goes out to those who lost their children," he said. The state government also said that as soon as information about the incident was received, Adityanath sent his deputy Pathak and the principal health secretary to the spot. Also read: ‘Leave election campaign,’ UP CM Yogi faces massive uproar over Jhansi hospital tragedy "Instructions have been issued to launch a three-tier probe into the incident. The Jhansi Divisional Commissioner and the DIG have been told to probe the matter and the fire department will also look into it. Along with this, instructions have also been given for a magisterial inquiry into the incident," Pathak said on X. In another post in Hindi on X, Pathak said he has spoken to the family of the children injured in the blaze and assured them of all possible help. Interacting with reporters, he said, "We will detect the cause of the incident and whose negligence led to it. The priority is giving quality treatment to the injured." Talking about the rescue operation, the principal of the medical college said, "The children who did not suffer any burn injury or suffocation are being taken care of at the district hospital. The rescued children have been admitted to other wards of the medical college, district hospital and private nursing homes." Earlier on Saturday, Senior Superintendent of Police Sudha Singh told reporters that 16 injured children were being treated and efforts were underway to save their lives. Watch: Jhansi Tragedy: CM Yogi Seeks Fire Probe Report In 24 Hours × There was also information that some parents took their children home after the fire erupted in the ward, she said, adding police are trying to verify the tally of infants who were in the NICU and their current status. "The medical college has informed that 52 to 54 children were admitted at the time of the incident. While 10 of them died, 16 are undergoing treatment. Verification for others is ongoing," Singh added. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Jhansi hospital fire: Four-member team formed to probe incident, govt refutes faulty extinguishers claim

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Jhansi hospital fire kills 10 newborns, chaos erupts as parents protest to meet survivors

Morning brief: West Asia crisis updates; 10 kids dead in Jhansi hospital fire, and more

Jhansi hospital fire: Four-member team formed to probe incident, govt refutes faulty extinguishers claim