India hospital fire kills at least 10 newborn babies in 'heart-wrenching' tragedy

A horror blaze at a neonatal ward has killed at least 10 newborn .

The fire broke out at a hospital in the town of Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh state in as staff battled to save the babies.

Hospital workers were able to break in and rescue 44 infants from the flames, but 16 are said to be in a critical condition.

Initial reports from the fire, which broke out at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College Hospital on Friday night, blame an electrical fault.

Anguished parents can be seen gathered outside the hospital in pictures from the scene. The fire broke out at around 22:30 local time, in the intensive care unit of the infants ward, according to local media reports.

Officials have said an electrical problem in a machine which increased the level of oxygen in the ward may have sparked the fire.

The deaths have been called “heart-wrenching” by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a message posted online.

"My deepest condolences to those who have lost their innocent children in this. I pray to God to give them the strength to bear this immense loss," he wrote.

Three bodies from the blaze are yet to be identified, reporters were told on Saturday by officials from the Uttar Pradesh state government.

A safety review of the public hospital had been carried out in February, and a fire drill had taken place in June, state deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak said.

Bereaved families will receive compensation of 500,000 rupees (£4,600; $5,900) state officials have announced.

In May six newborn babies were killed in a fire at a private neonatal facility in Delhi, making this tragedy the second incident in six months where a hospital fire ahs taken the lives of babies in India.