SURAT: Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani expressed grief over the hospital fire in Bhandara in neighbouring Maharashtra in the early hours of Saturday in which 10 infants were killed, stating that their “golden future” had been taken away from them.
The infants, all aged between a month and three months, died after a fire broke out at the Special Newborn Care Unit of the Bhandara district hospital.
Irani, who also holds the textiles portfolio in the Union cabinet, was here to inaugurate the three-day Surat International Textile Expo (SITEX 2021), and was accompanied by Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Debashree Chaudhuri.
“Debashree Chaudhuri, Darshnaben Jardosh (Surat MP) and I would like to express our condolences to the family members of the infants and pay our tributes to the infants whose golden future was taken away from them. I have learnt that the NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) has sought a report,” she told reporters.
“I will make any special comment after getting the report. As of now, I’d only like to say that the deaths of children in Maharashtra is a matter of grief for us all in the country,” she added.
“Fire at Maharashtra’s Bhandara district hospital & subsequent death of infants in the unfortunate incident is horrific & heart wrenching to say the least. My deepest condolences to the parents & families of children who lost their lives. Om Shanti!” Irani had tweeted in the morning.
PTI