A tragic fire at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, claimed the lives of 10 newbo s and left 16 others injured on Friday night.

The blaze broke out in the ward, which housed 55 infants, quickly spreading and causing chaos. While 45 babies were rescued and are receiving medical care, the fire claimed the lives of those unable to escape.

Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire.

Brajesh Pathak, the Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, visited the hospital on Saturday and vowed to investigate the incident. 'We will identify those responsible for this tragedy and take strict action,' Pathak said, offering condolences to the families affected.

Eyewitnesses reported that rescuers arrived approximately 30 minutes after the fire started, with firefighters breaking windows to reach the babies. The delay in evacuation has sparked conce s about the hospital's safety protocols. Despite the presence of fire alarms in the NICU, parents and witnesses claimed the alarms failed to activate during the incident. 'If the safety alarm had worked, we could have acted sooner and saved more lives,' said one grieving parent.

The incident has raised serious questions about the hospital's fire safety measures, and calls for better protection for vulnerable patients have intensified.