20160331 India Narrow escape for 10 newborns in hospital fire
India Mar 30 2016 “Hospitals”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Narrow escape for 10 newborns in hospital fire
Updated: 2016-03-31-06:57
Ten newborns had a narrow escape when fire broke out at the government run Veerangana Jhalkari Bai child and women hospital in Hazratganj on Wednesday night, rendering the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with incubators and photo therapy units dysfunctional.
Of 10 newborns, two were on incubators, while eight were being provided different intensive care therapies. A pre-mature newborn whose condition was serious was shifted to King George’s Medical University. “Rest nine are under observation and stable,” officials later told reporters. A visibly terrified Chandravati, mother of a newborn, said “It was frightening. I kept praying all through the incident.”
Police said fire broke out at around 9pm due to short circuit at the store on the first floor of the hospital and with 15 minutes it spread to the NICU, creating panic among staff, patients and their attendants. As wards and rooms were filled with smoke, people rushed down the stairs to save their lives, while parents were seen trying frantically to save their newborns in the NICU. Confusion prevailed as power supply was also disconnected.
It took two fire tenders 45 minutes to douse the fire. “Preliminary inspections shows traces of short circuit but detailed probe has been ordered,” he said. The area around the hospital was evacuated and the traffic on the road was stopped till the rescue operation concluded. Neighbouring shopkeepers and vendors also came to help those trapped in the fire. “The commotion could be heard even at noisy Hazratganj crossing ,” Vikas, a commuter who stopped to assist in rescue efforts.
Web Source: THE TIMES OF INDIA
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Narrow-escape-for-10-newborns-in-hospital-fire/articleshow/51625165.cms