A week that began with immense joy for Kripa Ram Yadav turned into a nightmare following a tragic fire at Jhansi’s Maharani Laxmibai Medical College (MLBC). On November 7, 2024, Mr. Yadav's wife, Shanti, gave birth to their son after a long labor, and the baby was admitted to the neonatal ICU (NICU) for monitoring due to minor seizures. However, by November 14, Shanti, who was suffering from a mental illness, disappeared from the hospital, and the very next day, a devastating fire broke out in the NICU.
The fire, believed to have been caused by a short circuit in an extension board, tragically claimed the lives of 10 infants. In the chaos that ensued, 39 other babies were rescued by relatives and hospital staff. Due to thick smoke and flames blocking the main entrance, rescuers had to break open two windows to save the babies, leading to a stampede-like situation where the priority was simply getting the children to safety—regardless of which child was handed to whom.
“I was among those left without a baby,” Mr. Yadav recounted. “Everyone was frantic, no one was concerned about whose child they were carrying. All we wanted was to get the babies out.”
In the midst of the confusion, Mr. Yadav found himself searching frantically for his wife and child. With his wife missing and no sign of his newborn, he spent the next two days visiting every ward at MLBC and several nearby private hospitals, trying to locate his son.
“I was sleeping outside the NICU when my wife went to the washroom,” Mr. Yadav explained. “When she didn’t return, I started searching for her but couldn’t find her anywhere. I even contacted the staff and the police, but there was no trace.”
The hospital’s staff and other parents involved in the rescue efforts reported difficulties identifying the infants, as the babies’ identification tags—with details like their names, birth weights, and parent names—had either been lost or were obscured in the rush to save them.
After two agonizing days, Mr. Yadav was finally reunited with his son at a private hospital. The baby had been rescued by a woman who mistakenly took him to a nearby medical facility, believing the child was hers.
Similarly, Mahendra Singh and Lakshmi Singh’s baby was rescued and moved to the pediatric ICU (PICU) of MLBC. During the initial rescue, Lakshmi had been handed two babies by hospital staff. “One child had a proper identification tag, so I handed him over to a nurse,” she recalled. “The other baby, who I thought was mine, was taken by my husband and me to a private hospital.”
It wasn’t until hospital staff reached out to the family, after no one came forward to inquire about the child, that the mix-up was discovered. Mahendra and Lakshmi, relieved to be reunited with their child, had already spent around ₹10,000 on private treatment but said they had no regrets, emphasizing the joy of having their child back.
Meanwhile, Mr. Yadav, who had been reeling from the disappearance of his wife, was assisted by his sister, Sheel Kumari, in recognizing his son. She recalled feeding the baby after Shanti went missing, which helped her identify the child during the chaotic aftermath. “I remembered his face,” Sheel said, and after a series of efforts, the child was safely returned to his family.
Though the trauma is far from over for the Yadavs, the family is grateful to have their baby back, even as Mr. Yadav’s wife remains missing. The local police, led by Circle Officer Ramvir Singh, are investigating her disappearance and have filed a missing person report. Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage from various locations in the city, including railway stations and bus stands, in hopes of locating her.
The fire has not only devastated families but also sparked public outcry, with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issuing a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government in light of the infant deaths. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed condolences and announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased infant.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Dr. Sruthi Suresh/MSM)
