Transcript of Fire at hospital in India claims lives of at least 10 babies | BBC News

Now to India, where at least 10 infants have died when a fire broke out in the children's ward of a government hospital in Northern India. Sixteen other babies are being treated for their injuries. Some are described as in a critical condition. Local officials say that the blaze in the intensive care unit of the hospital in the town of Jhaanzeh was possibly caused by an electrical fault in an oxygen concentrator. Doctors and medical staff were seen breaking the windows of the smoke-filled ward to rescue the babies before fire crews arrived. Well, Sumeda Pal is our correspondent in Delhi. She has more details on exactly what happened at this hospital.

So the incident reportedly took place late last evening between 10:30 to 11:00 PM at the Indian Standard Time. We know for a fact that the fire broke out around this time. The authorities, while are trying to assert in the actual cause which led to the fire, it is being stated that since the neonatal facility is a highly oxygenated unit that could have contributed to the spread of the fire. As far as the facility is concerned, about 50 infants were receiving treatment at the facility. As the fire spread, the windows were broken to rescue the children, and about 44 infants were rescued from the facility. As far as the immediate updates are concerned, many of them are injured and are still receiving treatment at the facility, while some parents are still looking to find their missing children. The electrical fault, as you mentioned, is being stated as one of the factors. However, an investigation will assert in the actual factors which had contributed to the fire.

Absolutely tragic, unimaginable what those parents are experiencing right now. Sumida, do we know these fires? Does this happen often in these facilities?

Yeah, this is, in fact, the second most prominent instance of a hospital fire which is being reported from India. In May earlier this year in New Delhi, which is the national capital, a similar such incident took place where six babies were killed. It was as well an incident where fire had spread out through a neonatal intensive care facility.

Just in terms of what this raises about concerns when it comes to safety protocols in these government hospitals, there must be so much reaction about and concern raised.

Absolutely. Several opposition leaders, including the families, are raising very pertinent questions about whether or not the electrical maintenance at these facilities was carried out on time, whether or not fire extinguishers were present, and what about the fire alarms. These are some very critical questions which are being raised about the maintenance of these facilities, as well as the infrastructure which exists in both private facilities as well as the government facilities.

Sameda Pal, on that tragic story from India.