10 newborns die in a day at Bengal's Malda Medical College; govt seeks report

Out of 10, eight infants had been referred from other hospitals and nursing homes in critical condition. The hospital said it has submitted a preliminary report and will send a comprehensive report to Swasthya Bhavan. 10 newborns die in single day at Malda Medical College Hospital; health department seeks report (Photo: ITG)Ten newborns died in a single day at Malda Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal, prompting the state health department to seek a detailed report from the hospital authorities. According to hospital sources, the deaths occurred during the second week of August. The hospital has acknowledged the deaths and said a preliminary report has already been submitted to the health department.Of the 10 infants who died, eight had been referred to Malda Medical College after being born at other government hospitals or private nursing homes. They were brought to the medical college in critical condition and reportedly died due to complications including respiratory distress, jaundice and cardiac problems.Medical Superintendent Prasenjit Bar said only two of the 10 infants had been born at Malda Medical College, while the remaining eight had been referred from outside facilities."Recently, 10 infants died in a single day at Malda Medical College. However, only two of them were born at this facility; the others had been referred here from outside in critical condition," Bar said. He added that Swasthya Bhavan had sought a report on the deaths. "We have already submitted a preliminary report, and the comprehensive report will be sent shortly," he said.WOMAN DIES AS FIRE BREAKS OUT IN HOWRAH BUILDINGIn a separate incident, a 65-year-old woman died, and 12 people were rescued after a fire broke out at a residential building in West Bengal's Howrah district on Wednesday afternoon, officials said. The deceased, identified as Rupa Mukherjee, was found inside a room of a flat in the five-storey building in the Ankurhati area, police said.The fire broke out in a flat on the third floor at around 1 pm. Five fire tenders were rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control after nearly two-and-a-half hours, a Fire Brigade official said.The official added that 12 people were rescued from the building. A forensic examination will be conducted to ascertain the cause of the fire.Locals alleged that the lack of nearby water sources hampered firefighting operations.The incident comes amid a spate of deadly fires in West Bengal. Earlier, nine people were killed in a hotel fire in Tarapith in Birbhum district on August 17. On August 19, another hotel fire in Kolkata claimed nine lives, including those of seven Bangladesh nationals.- EndsWith agency inputsPublished By: Priyanka KumariPublished On: Aug 26, 2026 21:50 IST