India: 4 newborns dead in fire at children’s ward of hospital

Four of 40 infants in the newborn-care unit of a government hospital died in central India when a fire swept through the unit late on Monday, government officials said.

The four children have been died after the children’s ward of Bhopal’s Kamla Nehru Hospital caught fire on Monday night.

The Madhya Pradesh government has announced an ex gratia of Rs400,000 for the deceased.

Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang said: “There were 40 children in the ward out of which 36 are safe. Ex gratia of Rs4 lakhs will be given to parents of each deceased.”

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered a high-level enquiry into the incident.

“A high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident. The investigation will be done by ACS Public Health and Medical Education Mohammad Suleman,” his tweet read.

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister also condoled the death of children in the incident.

“The untimely departure of children from the world is unbearable pain. I pray to God for peace to the departed souls. My deepest condolences to the families of the children. I wish speedy recovery for those who were injured in the incident,” he added.

The other newborns at Kamla Nehru Hospital in Madhya Pradesh state, many of them underweight, have been shifted to other wards, minister Sarang told reporters after the fire was brought under control.

“The other children are being treated,” Sarang later said on Twitter.

Hospital fires have killed at least 70 people in India this year, including 10 last weekend in Maharashtra, a state neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.

• India