Jhansi (UP), Nov 15 (PTI) At least 10 children died in a fire that engulfed the children's ward of a medical college in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district on Friday night, officials said, fearing that the casualties might go up.
District Magistrate (DM) Avinash Kumar told reporters that the fire broke out around 10.45 pm in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College possibly due to an electrical short circuit.
The children who were in the outer part of the NICU were rescued, along with some of those who were in the interior part.
"Prima facie there is information of the death of 10 children," the DM said.
Those less critical are admitted in the outer section of the NICU while the more critical patients are kept in the interior part, Kumar said.
Divisional Commissioner Jhansi Vimal Dubey, who reached the hospital around midnight, told reporters that there were about 30 children in the interior section of the NICU and most of them were rescued.
A fire brigade was rushed to the spot while senior officers of the district also reached the medical college, Jhansi police said in a brief statement on social media.
A couple hailing from nearby Mahoba district grieved the demise of their newborn child. The mother told reporters that the child was born on November 13 at 8 am. "My child has been killed in fire," the inconsolable mother told reporters.
Purported visuals from the medical college showed panic-struck patients and their caretakers being evacuated, even as several police personnel aided rescue and relief measures.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and directed officials of the district administration to ensure proper treatment to the injured, according to a statement issued in Lucknow.
He also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.
The chief minister directed the officials of the district administration and the fire brigade vehicles to reach the spot and expedite the relief work.
Another official statement said Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, also the state's health minister, and the principal secretary of health have left for Jhansi on the directions of Adityanath.
The chief minister also directed the divisional commissioner of Jhansi and the deputy inspector general of the police range to submit a report on the matter within 12 hours, the statement added.
"I am extremely pained by this incident," Jhansi Lok Sabha MP Anurag Sharma told a news channel, adding that he was out of station at the moment.
Sadar MLA Ravi Sharma also reached the hospital shortly after the incident.