Man Saved 7 Babies from Hospital Fire but Lost His Twin Daughters
A fire at Jhansi's Maharani Laxmi Bai Hospital killed 12 infants, including twin daughters, leading to calls for justice and investigation.
A heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded on 15th November 2024 at the Maharani Laxmi Bai Hospital & Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, when a massive fire broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) around 10:45 pm. Among the victims were the newborn twin daughters of Yakoob Mansuri, a young father who had been overjoyed at the birth of his children just days earlier.
Yakoob, who had been celebrating the birth of his twin girls, rushed to the NICU when the fire began spreading. Despite his best efforts to save his daughters, the fire was too intense for him to reach them. In a brave act of courage, he smashed a window of another NICU ward and rescued seven infants from the flames. However, his own daughters could not be saved.
A devastated Yakoob shared, “I could not enter the ward where my daughters were admitted because the fire was so intense. Other parents tried, but they too failed… I had two daughters. I lost them.” Yakoob later identified the bodies of his twin daughters.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of 12 infants. While 39 infants were rescued, 10 babies, including Yakoob’s daughters, died on the spot. Two more infants succumbed to their injuries and smoke inhalation in the following days, on 17th and 18th November 2024. The remaining 37 rescued infants are receiving treatment, with several in critical condition.
Yakoob has filed a formal complaint against the hospital, seeking justice for his daughters and the other children who lost their lives. He expressed the shared pain of other parents, saying, “We just want to get justice for our children. That's all.”
An initial investigation suggests the fire was accidental, possibly caused by a short circuit in a switchboard or medical equipment. The fire was reportedly made worse by oxygen cylinders in the NICU. The investigation also revealed that the hospital’s fire extinguishers had expired four years ago, and there were no sprinklers installed in the NICU.
The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a four-member committee to investigate the incident. The committee is conducting site inspections, interviewing eyewitnesses, and reviewing CCTV footage to determine the cause of the fire and any potential negligence. The committee has been asked to submit its report within seven days.
In response to the tragedy, the UP government has announced compensation of ?5 lakh for the families of the deceased infants. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, calling the incident “heart-wrenching” and offering his prayers to the families of the victims.
This tragic fire in Jhansi is the second such incident in India in six months. In May 2024, six newborns died in a fire at a private children's hospital in Delhi. To learn more about the Delhi hospital fire, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfqnDxLjmcQ
