A newborn girl died after a fire broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a private nursing home in Kanpur district, police said on Monday. The incident occurred on Sunday evening at Raja Nursing Home in Bithoor and was reportedly triggered by a short circuit in a warmer machine. The infant sustained severe burn injuries and later died, leading to protests by relatives who alleged negligence and a cover-up attempt by hospital authorities.
According to a written complaint filed by the baby’s aunt, Ritu Nishad, hospital staff did not inform the family about the delivery for nearly 30 minutes. She claimed the family first learned about the birth through a cleaning staff member and was later told that smoke had spread in the NICU following a fire. The newborn, who suffered burns to the face, chest, and abdomen, was shifted to another facility where she was declared critical. Police said the matter is under investigation.
