A tragic fire at the Maharani Laxmibai Medical College and Hospital in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, resulted in the deaths of ten newborns after an electrical short circuit ignited flames on the ground floor, where the neonatal intensive care unit was located. The fire, which occurred late Friday, engulfed the ward, affecting 49 infants. Despite the hospital’s efforts, it was impossible to save the babies due to the rapid spread of flames. Seventeen infants remain hospitalized, and several others have been discharged or transferred to different facilities. One nurse also suffered burns during the incident.
This tragedy echoes India’s ongoing crisis in hospital fire safety. Despite frequent incidents, such as a May 2024 neonatal clinic fire in New Delhi that killed seven infants and a 2011 fire in Kolkata with 93 fatalities, efforts to improve fire safety in hospitals have been inconsistent. Studies show that although updated codes exist, they are often poorly enforced. The government announced compensation of 500,000 rupees (about $6,000) to each bereaved family.
India’s fire services face significant resource shortfalls. Data from 2019 reveals that the country had only about 3,377 fire stations despite needing 8,559, with staffing and equipment similarly far below regulatory standards. Fire departments in India are expected to protect sprawling populations and infrastructure but struggle with understaffing and lack of equipment.
This incident has sparked outrage among citizens, who question the slow pace of hospital safety improvements and call for urgent reforms to address building safety and fire prevention in critical public facilities.
