The fire started at the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) at a local hospital in the Bhandara district of Maharashtra, Doordarshan said in a tweet on his verified Twitter account. Firefighters rescued seven other babies from the unit.
“Investigations are ongoing,” said Tope, adding that $ 6,813 (5 lakh Indian rupees) would be paid in compensation to each of the affected families. The state will also bear the costs of funeral and counseling.
“Whoever is guilty of this will not be spared,” said Tope. “It must be ensured that this type of incident does not occur from now on.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi regretted the incident on Saturday morning. “Heart-breaking tragedy in Bhandara, Maharashtra, where we lost precious young lives. My thoughts are with all bereaved families. I hope the wounded will recover as soon as possible,” he wrote on Twitter
Indian President Ram Nath Kovind’s office also tweeted in Hindi: “I am deeply saddened by the premature death of babies in a fire accident in Bhandara, Maharashtra. My most sincere condolences to the families who lost their children in this painful event.”
Interior Minister Amit Shah said in a tweet that he was “bothered beyond words” with “irreparable loss”.
The country’s Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan, said he had contacted Tope about the incident.