The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a high-level committee today, November 16 to probe the devastating fire at Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi, which killed 10 children.
The inquiry committee will be chaired by the Director General of Medical Education and Training, with the following State Government officials: Director (Health), Medical Health Services, Additional Director, Electrical Services, Medical Health Services, and one officer nominated by the Director General of Fire Services, reports the Times of India.
The investigation will concentrate on the following key points:
Primary cause of the fire, determining the root cause of the fire
Identification of negligence or lapses, determining whether any negligence or flaws contributed to the incident
Recommendations for future prevention, suggesting measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future
Times of India reports that the committee is required to submit its findings to the state government within seven days.
Partha Sarathi Sharma, Principal Secretary (Health) of Uttar Pradesh requested all concerned officials to strictly adhere to the investigation timeline and provide complete cooperation for a thorough investigation.
The investigation attempts to establish accountability and provide appropriate safety measures to avoid similar events in the future.
The fire, which overtook the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) today, November 16, is believed to have been triggered by a short circuit. It claimed the lives of 10 children and left 16 more in critical condition.
