The fire broke out in the Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) at the local hospital in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district, Doordarshan said in a tweet on his verified Twitter account. Firefighters rescued seven other children from the unit.
“The investigation is ongoing,” Tope said, adding that $ 6,813 (5 lakh Indian rupees) would be paid as compensation for each of the affected families. The state will also bear the costs of funeral and counseling.
“Whoever is guilty of this will not be exempted at all,” Tope said. “It should be ensured that such an incidence does not occur from now on.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the incident on Saturday morning. “The painful tragedy in Bhandara, Maharashtra, where I lost precious young lives. My thoughts are for all the grieving families. I hope the wounded will recover as soon as possible,” he wrote on Twitter.
The office of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind also wrote on Twitter: “I am deeply saddened by the premature death of infants in a fire accident in Bhandara, Maharashtra. My condolences to the families who lost their children in this heartbreaking event. “
Interior Minister Amit Shah said in a tweet that he was “hurt over words” by the “irreparable loss”.
The country’s Minister of Health and Welfare, Harsh Vardhan, said he was in touch with Tope about the incident.