Fire in Indian hospital kills 4 infants, 36 rescued

NEW DELHI (AP) — A fire swept through a newborn care unit in a hospital in central India, killing four infants, officials said.

An investigation was ordered into the fire that occurred Monday night at the Kamla Nehru Children’s Hospital in Bhopal, said Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the chief minister in Madhya Pradesh state.

There were 40 children in total in the unit, out of which 36 have been rescued, said Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang. He said he arrived at the hospital within 10 minutes after the incident and that everything was now under control.

“The untimely death of children from the world is an unbearable pain,” Chauhan said on Twitter, offering his condolences to the families affected.

While an inquiry is still ongoing, authorities told the Press Trust of India news agency that a short circuit may have caused the fire.

Fatal building fires are not uncommon in India, where poor maintenance and lack of proper firefighting equipment often lead to deaths.