Jhansi hospital fire: Two-member probe committee report rules out foul play

Jhansi Hospital Fire: The report, prepared by a team led by Jhansi Commissioner Vipul Dubey and DIG Kalanidhi Naithani, said that there was no criminal conspiracy or foul play involved.

In Short

• Fire in Jhansi NICU caused by electrical short circuit
• No foul play suspected, says preliminary report
• Human rights body issues notice to UP government for negligence

A two-member committee has prepared its preliminary report on the tragic fire that broke out in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Rani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, which resulted in the deaths of at least 10 newborns.

According to sources, the report said that the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Friday (November 15), was caused by a short circuit in the switchboard, leading to a fire that rapidly spread due to the plastic coverings on medical equipment.

FIRE CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT, NO FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED

The report, prepared by a team led by Jhansi Commissioner Vipul Dubey and DIG Kalanidhi Naithani, said that there was no criminal conspiracy or foul play involved. The investigation, according to sources, revealed that at the time of the incident, the NICU ward had six nurses, other staff members, and two lady doctors on duty. The fire started from sparks in the switchboard, which subsequently ignited the plastic coverings of machines, causing the flames to spread rapidly.

A nurse on duty made attempts to douse the fire, sustaining burns to her legs and clothes in the process. As the flames began spreading toward the oxygen concentrators, the staff raised an alarm, a source said. A paramedical staff member, followed by two other employees, used fire extinguishers to control the blaze, but by then, the fire had escalated. Firefighters arrived on the scene within eight minutes of receiving the alert.

OVERLOADED EQUIPMENT AND LACK OF SAFETY MEASURES

Sources indicate that the short circuit may have been triggered by an electrical overload in the NICU. The investigation report is expected to shed light on whether there was excessive load on the machines in the ward. The doctors informed the inquiry committee that water sprinklers are not installed in NICUs due to the presence of newborns, which could have exacerbated the fire risk.

NHRC TAKES SUO MOTU COGNISANCE, ISSUES NOTICE

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken serious note of the incident, describing reports as "disturbing" and indicative of negligence by the authorities. The NHRC has issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the state's Director General of Police, seeking a detailed report within one week.

The commission has asked for clarity on the status of the FIR, actions taken against responsible officials, and details on the medical treatment provided to the injured.

The NHRC has also demanded information on compensation, if any, provided to the families of the deceased, and what measures are being taken to prevent such incidents in the future. The commission emphasised that the incident represents a "grave violation" of human rights, given that the victims were under the care of a government-run facility.

The Uttar Pradesh government has responded to the incident by forming a four-member committee to conduct a detailed investigation. The committee’s findings will determine if any additional safety protocols need to be enforced in state-run hospitals to avoid such incidents in the future.