The Uttar Pradesh Government has ordered a three-tier probe into the Jhansi hospital fire and announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia to the parents of each deceased on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths and announced assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the Divisional Commissioner of Jhansi and the deputy inspector general of police to submit a report on the incident within 12 hours.
"Instructions have been issued to launch a three-tier probe into the incident. The Divisional Commissioner of Jhansi and the DIG have been told to investigate 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," Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak said on X.
"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," the Deputy Chief Minister told PTI. He said strict action would be initiated against those found guilty.
According to Jhansi District Magistrate Avinash Kumar, the fire broke out around 10.45 pm on Friday in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) 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. The children who were in the outer part of the NICU were rescued, along with some of those who were in the interior part of the unit.
