Hamirpur: Yakub, a young father from Rath town in Hamirpur district, is grappling with unimaginable grief after losing his newborn twin daughters in a fire that engulfed the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Jhansi’s Rani Laxmibai Medical College. The tragedy unfolded late Friday night, claiming the lives of ten children and leaving families devastated.
As Yakub was waiting outside the hospital, fire broke out around 11 pm on November 15, reportedly caused by a short circuit. In no time, smoke filled the ward. Yakub, who was waiting with his mother and brother-in-law, rushed to the NICU as soon as he heard the commotion. Despite the suffocating smoke and chaos, Yakub managed to rescue seven babies with the help of his family. However, his own daughters, admitted just days earlier due to breathing issues, couldn’t be saved.
“I saved seven children, but I couldn’t save my own,” Yakub said, tears streaming down his face. His wife, Najma, who had given birth to the twins on November 9, couldn’t even see their faces before their untimely death.
The NICU, housing critically ill newborns, turned into a death trap due to what is suspected to be a short circuit. Hospital staff reportedly fled the scene, leaving parents to fend for themselves.
Yakub recounted the chaos and said, “I couldn’t see anything inside—just smoke everywhere. I tried to reach my daughters, but it was too late. But there was no point searching for them instead of rescuing as many children as possible. As there was smoke everywhere, I tried saving whichever kid came my way.”
The incident claimed ten lives on the spot, with two more newborns succumbing later. Families, including Yakub’s, are demanding justice and accountability for the lack of safety measures.
Yakub, happens to be the youngest of three brothers and works at a box shop. His heroic act saved seven other lives, but the weight of his own loss overshadows everything.
“My wife hasn’t spoken a word since that night. She is under depression. We lost everything,” Yakub said, his voice trembling.
The tragedy highlights glaring lapses in hospital safety protocols. “The hospital staff abandoned us,” Yakub alleged. “Why weren’t there fire safety measures in place? Strict action must be taken against those responsible. I just want justice. There should be some accountability of the hospital staff. How can they run to safety without thinking about patients," he questioned.
As Yakub mourns his daughters, his bravery in saving seven lives stands as a testament to his courage amidst despair—a bittersweet story of heroism and heartbreak.
The high-level team probing the tragic fire incident said an extension chord caught fire first and it spread to the nearby ventilator leading to the tragedy. An earlier investigation by the divisional commissioner and DIG also pointed at short-circuit.
On the instructions of the government, a special investigation team from Lucknow reached Jhansi on Monday under the chairmanship of Kinjal Singh, director general of medical education and training. The team inspected the NICU ward and recorded statements of doctors and staff.
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