Ten babies killed in a fire at Western India hospital
Nidhi Verma/Reuters
This frame grab from video provided by KK Productions shows women grieving at District General Hospital where a fire broke out in Bhandara, about 70 kilometres from Nagpur, India, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. A fire broke out in the intensive care unit of a government-run hospital in western India early Saturday, killing 10 infants, police and news reports said. Firefighters rescued seven babies from the newborn care unit of the hospital. (KK Productions via AP)
NEW DELHI (Reuters) — Ten newborns were killed on Saturday in a massive fire at a hospital in Maharashtra, India’s richest state, a doctor said, as leading politicians expressed grief at the loss of life.
“The fire broke out at 2 a.m. today,” said Pramod Khandate, civil surgeon at Bhandara District General Hospital in the western state. Seven of the 17 children in the Sick Newborn Care Unit were rescued, Khandate told Reuters partner ANI.
Police officers investigate the scene after a fire broke out at District General Hospital in Bhandara, about 70 kilometres from Nagpur, India, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. A fire broke out in the intensive care unit of a government-run hospital in western India early Saturday, killing 10 infants, police and news reports said. Firefighters rescued seven babies from the newborn care unit of the hospital. (AP Photo)
This frame grab from video provided by KK Productions shows a woman holding an infant that survived a fire at District General Hospital in Bhandara, about 70 kilometres from Nagpur, India, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. A fire broke out in the intensive care unit of a government-run hospital in western India early Saturday, killing 10 infants, police and news reports said. Firefighters rescued seven babies from the newborn care unit of the hospital. (KK Productions via AP)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thakre ordered a probe into the incident.
“Heart-wrenching tragedy in Bhandara, Maharashtra, where we have lost precious young lives,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter. “My thoughts are with all the bereaved families. I hope the injured recover as early as possible.”
A number of other politicians, including opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, also expressed their grief.
