Five infants burnt alive as incubator catches fire

Patiala (Punjab), Jan 31 (PTI) Five new born babies
were burnt alive and two others were seriously injured at a
private hospital in the wee hours here in India's northern
state of Punjab Saturday when the incubators they were kept in
caught fire due to a suspected short circuit.

A total of 10 children undergoing treatment for
jaundice at the private hospital were kept in photo therapy
units when the wires of the machine caught fire, charring five
of them to death including three boys and two girls.

Photo therapy (light treatment) is used for the
treatment of jaundice.

Two other children were seriously injured while three
others were rescued.The victims were in the age group of three
to seven days.

The fire could have been broken out due to a short
circuit around 3:30 am IST, Superintendent of Police, Gurmit
Singh Chahuan told PTI.

The seriously injured two children have been referred
to PGI, Chandigarh.

Surinder Singh, Superintendent of the Rajinder
Hospital where the mishap took place said the infants were
kept in photo therapy units as they were suffering from
jaundice.

"There was a short circuit in the tubes of the
machines. The staff reacted immediately...but unfortunately
five babies could not be saved," he was quoted as saying by a
television channel.

Some hospital sources claimed that the machines were
not well equipped.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has ordered
an magisterial inquiry in the incident and announced an
ex-gratia of Rs one lakh to the families of the children
killed in the mishap. PTI CORR
PMR
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