New Delhi, Nov 16 (AFP/APP): A fire at the neonatal unit of an Indian hospital killed 10 newborns, authorities said Saturday, with another 16 clinging to life after a blaze blamed on a faulty oxygen machine.

                  Building fires are common in India due to shoddy construction and a routine disregard for safety regulations.

                  Friday night’s fire broke out at about 10:30 pm (1700 GMT) Friday at the Maharani Lakshmibai Medical College in Jhansi, around 450 kilometres (280 miles) south of the capital New Delhi.

                  Footage from the scene showed charred beds and walls inside the ward as a crowd of anguished families waited outside.

                  Babies rescued from the fire, all only days old, were laid side by side on a bed elsewhere in the hospital as hospital staff hooked up their arms to intravenous drips.

                  “Ten infants have sadly died,” Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak told reporters.

                  “Seven bodies have been identified. Three bodies haven’t been identified as yet.”

                  Another 16 infants were in critical condition after the blaze, news outlet Times Now reported.

                  Pathak said a safety audit of the hospital was carried out in February followed by a fire drill three months later.

                  “The cause of the fire will be probed,” he added. “If any lapses are found, strict action will be taken against those responsible and no one will be spared.”