Jhansi Fire Tragedy: Extinguisher Expired in 2022 - Glaring Lapses Exposed

Jhansi: In an extremely heartbreaking incident, ten newborns lost ir lives after Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Jhansi's Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College was engulfed with fire. While prima facie fire was triggered by a short circuit, a proper investigation is yet to take place; amid this, a glaring lapse has been highlighted, that is likely a major reason for spre of fire and damage it has caused.

Glaring Lapses Highlighted in Jhansi Medical College Fire

Expired Fire Extinguishers Used

According to Republic, fire extinguishers used in an attempt to control fire that broke out in NICU of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in UP's Jhansi, ‘did not work’ because y were expired - an expiry date of two years ago was mentioned on extinguisher. An eyewitness also claimed that fire extinguisher did not work and fire could not be controlled, resulting in death of ten babies.

fire extinguisher, which authorities claim were refilled in June and used by ward boy, bears expiry details and date mentioned on it is 24th July, 2022.

Safety Alarms Dysfunctional

safety alarms that should have gone off after a fire, did not go off and were dysfunctional and people could not be warned.

Evacuation Process Delayed

Construction was going on around concerned area and so evacuation process was delayed; fire alarms were also non-functional.

No Emergency Exits

Lack of emergency exits at medical college was anor major lapse that led to escalation of fire in hospital's NICU; since re were no emergency exits, babies were evacuated through a small window.

Poor Quality Oxygen Cylinders Used

Despite being a functional hospital and medical college, oxygen cylinders used were of extremely poor quality and did not help as much as y should have.

‘Fire Extinguisher Did Not Work’: Jhansi Fire Eyewitness

Shockingly, eyewitness also revealed how when fire broke out, fire extinguishers were used to douse fire but unfortunately, fire extinguishers were not working and fire spre, killing ten babies. 

Recalling accident, eyewitness revealed how a resident doctor came rushing from NICU screaming that a fire has broken out in ward and babies need to be saved; eyewitness also revealed that doctor's leg h also caught fire. This is when a chaos happened to take babies out of ward.

Jhansi Fire: Cause of Accident

According to a senior police official of Uttar Presh police, preliminary inquiry revealed that prima facie fire broke out due to a short circuit inside children’s ward at hospital.

However, UP Deputy CM and Health Minister Brajesh Pathak has said in a statement that a multi-level probe will be conducted to find out cause of accident. In his words, “re will be three levels of investigation: first by Health department, second by police and district ministration, and third will be a magisterial inquiry. most important point is to understand how this tragedy occurred.”