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‘Proof of negligence’: Kamal Nath hits out at MP govt over Bhopal hospital fire
At least four children lost their lives in the fire that broke out in the special newborn care unit (SNCU) of the Kamla Nehru Children's Hospital in Bhopal. A total of 40 children were admitted in the SNCU unit and 36 of them were undergoing treatment in different wards.
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath on Tuesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) Madhya Pradesh government over the fire at the Kamla Nehru Children's Hospital in Bhopal on Monday night.
At least four children lost their lives in the fire that broke out in the special newborn care unit (SNCU) of the hospital. A total of 40 children were admitted in the SNCU unit and 36 of them were undergoing treatment in different wards.
The state government has ordered a high-level probe into the incident.
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Speaking to news agency ANI, Kamal Nath, the former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, said that this is the third time that such an incident has happened in the past six months. “It is proof of negligence. We demand a sitting judge of the high court should conduct a probe,” Nath added.
Earlier in the day, leaders of the Congress party accused the Bhopal police of not allowing them into the Kamala Nehru Children's hospital. The leaders said that the MP government is entirely responsible for this accident and also demanded a probe by a sitting HC judge. Congress MLA, PC Sharma told reporters on Monday that all ministers in the state cabinet should resign.
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A short-circuit is likely to have been the cause of fire, Madhya Pradesh medical education minister Vishwas Sarang said on Monday.
“We reached the spot along with others soon after getting information about the incident. It was dark inside the ward. We shifted the children to the adjacent ward," Sarang said.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has, meanwhile, announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh each for the family members of the victims. Chouhan said that the accident is criminal negligence and those who are guilty will not be spared.