Jhansi hospital fire: UP deputy CM Brajesh Pathak denies claims of expired fire equipment, calls it 'fully functional'

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak on Saturday refuted allegations that expired fire extinguishers and faulty alarms contributed to the blaze that claimed the lives of 10 newborns in the NICU of Jhansi's Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College.

The fire, which broke out on Friday night, is suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit. Sixteen other children are currently battling for life after suffering injuries in the incident.

Pathak emphasized that a fire safety audit was conducted at the hospital in February, followed by a mock drill in June. "The Yogi Adityanath government is standing with the affected families. Our staff and rescue teams bravely worked to save the children. All firefighting equipment was functional," he stated.

Medical College Principal Dr. Narendra Singh Sengar echoed the denial, calling claims about expired fire extinguishers "baseless." He added, "The NICU fire extinguisher was used during the incident. All 146 fire extinguishers installed at the hospital undergo regular audits, the most recent being in February."

Meanwhile, Jhansi SSP Sudha Singh reported that 16 children are receiving treatment, while efforts are underway to account for all admitted patients. "Preliminary data shows 52-54 children were in the NICU at the time. Ten deaths are confirmed, and verification of others' status is ongoing," she said.

The rescue operation, which ended around 1am, also revealed that some parents took their children home amid the chaos, further complicating the verification process.

The tragedy has sparked a probe into the cause of the fire, with authorities pledging strict action based on the findings.