Jhansi hospital fire: Grieving father claims negligence, staff threats; loses hope of child being alive| WATCH

A devastating fire broke out on the night of November 15 in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, leaving at least 10 children dead and 16 others injured. The fire, believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, spread rapidly, engulfing the ward where over 50 children were being treated.

According to District Magistrate Avinash Kumar, the children in the outer part of the NICU were rescued, but the most critical patients, located in the inner section of the ward, were also affected. Authorities confirmed that a rescue operation was launched immediately, and most of the 30 children in the inner section were evacuated.

While emergency crews scrambled to save lives, the incident has sparked outrage over the lack of preparedness and alleged negligence on the part of the medical staff. One such witness, Kuldeep, whose newborn child was among those admitted to the NICU, gave a heart-wrenching statement to the media, revealing the chaos and the apparent failure of the hospital’s response.

"My name is Kuldeep. I am being threatened by the medical staff for speaking to the media. They are questioning my statements. But I will tell you what I saw," Kuldeep said in an interview with journalist Sachin Gupta. "I saved 4-5 children that night. It wasn’t even my own child—I didn’t care. I rushed in to pull them out of the smoke and flames. My child, unfortunately, was in the inner part of the NICU. I have no hopes of finding him alive."

Also read: Jhansi hospital fire: Grieving families of newborns charred to death ask 'kaun dega mera baccha' (WATCH)

Kuldeep further criticized the hospital’s handling of the emergency, claiming that instead of prioritizing the safety of the parents and children, staff were focused on driving people away. "When the fire broke out, doctors were pushing us away from the hospital. We wanted to go in and save our children. How could they stop us?" he asked, visibly upset.

Kuldeep’s child, admitted to the NICU just days earlier on November 9, is among the missing. The emotional toll of the event was evident in Kuldeep’s voice as he recounted the terror he witnessed and the apparent negligence that contributed to the tragedy.

The fire, which occurred late Friday night, left many families in grief, with several others still waiting for confirmation of their loved ones' safety. One mother, whose newborn was also a victim of the fire, spoke tearfully of the loss. "My child was born on November 13, but now my baby is gone. My child was killed in the fire," she said, overwhelmed with sorrow.

UP Govt orders multi-level probe into tragic Jhansi fire incident

The Uttar Pradesh government has expressed deep condolences for the incident. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to ensure the proper treatment of the injured children and expedite relief operations.

"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. District administration and concerned officials have been instructed to conduct relief and rescue operations on a war footing," he posted in Hindi on X.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak is on his way to Jhansi, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the fire and the accountability of hospital authorities.

"The death of the newborns is very unfortunate. Along with the family members, we are trying to identify the bodies of newborns. The first probe will be done at the administrative level which will be done by the health department, the second probe will be conducted by the Police administration...fire department team will also be a part of it, third, instructions have been given for the magisterial probe as well. The cause of the fire will be probed," Pathak said.

"If any lapses are found, those who would be responsible, strict action will be taken against them and no one will be spared. The govt is with the family members of the children," he added.

Also read: Jhansi hospital fire: UP government announces financial aid for Rs 5 lakh for parents of deceased newborns

Cause of fire at Jhansi hospital

Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire originated from an oxygen concentrator, possibly due to an electrical short circuit. 

Chief Medical Superintendent Sachin Mahor explained that the highly oxygenated environment in the NICU accelerated the spread of the flames despite efforts to control them.

"There were 54 babies admitted in the NICU ward. Suddenly a fire broke out inside the Oxygen concentrator, efforts to douse the fire were done but since the room was highly oxygenated, the fire spread quickly. Many babies were rescued. 10 babies have died, and injured babies are undergoing treatment," he said.