Ten newborn babies are dead after a fire ravaged a\u00a0neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)<\/a>\u00a0in a hospital.<\/p>\n On Friday, Nov. 15, the fire occurred at the Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College Hospital in Jhansi city in India\u2019s Uttar Pradesh state, according to the\u00a0BBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n A total of 55 infants were being treated at the hospital, Bimal Kumar Dubey, a local official, told the\u00a0Associated Press<\/a>. The dozens of babies that survived are currently receiving medical care, per the outlet, with at least 16 in critical condition, the BBC reported.<\/p>\n According to the AP, which cited eyewitnesses, firefighters began their rescue “about 30 minutes” after the fire began. Initial findings, the outlet said, indicate that errors in safety protocols \u2014 such as expired fire extinguishers and fire alarms that were not working \u2014 are likely the cause of the incident.<\/p>\n Brajesh Pathak, the deputy chief minister of the state, told the AP that the fire safety systems at the hospital had previously been inspected in February, and a practice drill occurred in June. \u201cThe cause of the fire will be probed,\u201d he said, according to\u00a0The Guardian<\/em><\/a>. \u201cIf any lapses are found, strict action will be taken against those responsible and no one will be spared.\u201d<\/p>\n The BBC reported that three of the 10 babies who were killed in the blaze have yet to be identified.<\/p>\n “When the fire broke out, I couldn’t go inside to rescue my baby. How could I? When no one was able to get inside, how could anyone hand me my baby?\u201d a mother told ANI news agency of her 10-day-old child, per the BBC.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the safety alarm had worked, we could have acted sooner and saved more lives,\u201d Naresh Kumar, a parent who lost his baby, said to the AP.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n After the incident, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a message on X, formerly Twitter, calling the deaths “heartbreaking.”<\/p>\n![\"Firefighters](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/7LIvTHSaJKllohI-4vGrDZp1JI0=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)\/jhansi-hospital-fire-111724-951f99e7510b4a40abc72b41426643f4.jpg\")
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\nFirefighters work after the blaze at the hospital in Jhansi, India, on Nov. 15.<\/span>AP Photo<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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