Maharashtra hospital fire: Rahul Gandhi appeals to state govt to provide assistance to affected kin

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Saturday condoled the death of newborn babies in the Maharashtra hospital fire and appealed to the state government to provide all possible assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured.

Ten newborns died after the fire broke out in the Special Newborn Care Unit of a hospital in Maharashtra's Bhandara district in the early hours of Saturday, doctors said.

The babies were aged between a month and three months, according to a doctor.

The unfortunate incident of fire at Bhandara District General Hospital in Maharashtra is extremely tragic.

My condolences to the families of the children who lost their lives.

I appeal to Maha Govt to provide every possible assistance to the families of the injured & deceased.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 9, 2021

District civil surgeon Pramod Khandate said there were 17 babies in the unit of whom seven could be rescued.

"The unfortunate incident of fire at Bhandara District General Hospital in Maharashtra is extremely tragic. My condolences to the families of the children who lost their lives," Gandhi said in a tweet.

"I appeal to Maha Govt to provide every possible assistance to the families of the injured & deceased," he said.

The Maharashtra government is led by the Shiv Sena with the NCP and the Congress part of the ruling dispensation.