Ten newborn babies have been killed after a fire tore through a neonatal intensive care unit in a hospital in northern India, authorities said.

The fire broke out at a hospital in Jhansi city in India’s Uttar Pradesh state.

Officials said the blaze spread quickly through the ward, where 55 infants were being treated. Sixteen others were injured in the fire.

Forty-five babies were rescued and are receiving medical care, said Bimal Kumar Dubey, a local official.

A woman rushes a child to the emergency ward
Families rushed to the scene after the fire (AP)

It was not immediately clear what sparked the blaze. Brajesh Pathak, the deputy chief minister of the state, visited the hospital and met affected families on Saturday.

He pledged government support for the victims’ families and promised a thorough investigation.

“We will identify those responsible for this tragedy and take strict action. The government stands with families during this difficult time,” he said.

When the firefighters arrived, the ward was engulfed in flames and plumes of smoke. Rescuers had to break through windows to reach the newborn babies.

Eyewitnesses said the rescue operation began about 30 minutes after the fire erupted, delaying evacuation efforts.

Firefighters at work
Dozens of people were rescued (AP)

The accident has raised questions over the hospital’s safety measures.

While fire alarms had been installed in the intensive care unit, parents and witnesses said they did not activate during the blaze. Hospital staff acted only after they saw signs of smoke and fire.

“If the safety alarm had worked, we could have acted sooner and saved more lives,” said Naresh Kumar, a parent who lost his baby.

Akhtar Hussain, whose son was rescued and is receiving treatment in an adjacent ward, agreed that the tragedy could have been prevented if the hospital had better safety protocols.

Mr Pathak said the hospital’s fire safety systems were last inspected in February, followed by a mock drill in June.