New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep sorrow on Saturday morning over the tragic loss of life in a devastating fire at Jhansi's Maharani Laxmibai Medical College, where 10 newborns perished in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). He assured that the local administration, under the Uttar Pradesh government’s guidance, was working tirelessly on relief and rescue efforts.

The fire, which occurred late Friday night, claimed the lives of 10 infants due to burns and suffocation. The NICU, designed to accommodate 18 beds, was housing 49 children at the time. Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak, who visited the site on Saturday, reported that while seven of the deceased infants have been identified, efforts are ongoing to confirm the identities of the remaining three and contact their families.

In a statement shared via the Prime Minister's Office on X, Modi described the incident as “heartbreaking,” offering his deepest condolences to the grieving families and praying for their strength during this unimaginable loss. He reiterated that every possible step was being taken to address the tragedy.

The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has announced ex gratia payments of ₹5 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for those with injured children. Additionally, the Chief Minister has directed the Divisional Commissioner and DIG of Jhansi to provide a detailed report on the incident within 12 hours.

Preliminary investigations suggest the fire was sparked by a short circuit in an oxygen concentrator, which rapidly intensified in the highly oxygen-rich NICU environment. Multi-level inquiries have been launched to ascertain the exact cause and identify those responsible.

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party has alleged negligence, claiming that a short circuit in the hospital’s equipment earlier on Friday afternoon was overlooked, potentially contributing to the catastrophe.