60 children die as India hospital runs short of oxygen

Relatives mourn the death of a children at Baba Raghav Das Hospital in Gorakhpur district of the Indian northern state Uttar Pradesh on Friday. (AFP)

LUCKNOW, India: At least 60 children have died over five days at a government hospital in northern India that suffered oxygen shortages, officials said Saturday amid fears the toll could rise.
Authorities said they have launched an inquiry but denied reports that a lack of oxygen had caused the deaths at the Baba Raghav Das Hospital in Gorakhpur district in Uttar Pradesh state, which is ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi鈥檚 Bharatiya Janata Party.
Indian media said 30 children died on Thursday and Friday after oxygen supply was disrupted in wards housing the sick, allegedly because the suppliers鈥� bills were not paid.
鈥淲e have launched an inquiry and a preliminary report should be out today. Yes, 60 patients have died at the hospital in the last five days but we don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 linked to reports of oxygen shortage,鈥� Anil Kumar, Gorakhpur鈥檚 divisional commissioner told AFP.
A statement issued by the office of state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, which has ordered the inquiry, said that all 60 deaths had occurred at the hospital鈥檚 paediatric ward over a five-day period starting Monday.
At least 23 children died on Thursday, when, according to the statement, 鈥渢he pressure of the liquid oxygen supply became low and 52 reserve oxygen cylinders were pressed into service.鈥�
The Hindustan Times newspaper on Saturday described chaotic scenes at the hospital as oxygen supply was disrupted.
鈥淓ven as 90 jumbo oxygen cylinders were pressed into service to maintain the supply on Friday, the hospital ran out of oxygen around 1 a.m.,鈥� it said.
鈥淎ll hell broke loose,鈥� the report added.
鈥淲hat followed was complete chaos as panic-stricken relatives of patients ran for help, and with the support of hospital staff tried to maintain supply of oxygen... using artificial manual breathing bags.
鈥淗owever several patients started collapsing due to inadequate supply,鈥� it added.
The region is one of India鈥檚 poorest and registers hundreds of child deaths each year from Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, which is rife in parts of eastern and northern India.
鈥淲e will be getting more liquid oxygen cylinders tonight or tomorrow, and have also cleared the dues of the supplier,鈥� Kumar told AFP.
He added the deaths 鈥渃ould be (due to) natural (causes), as many patients admitted at the hospital are serious.鈥�
India鈥檚 Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi, a campaigner for children鈥檚 rights, described the deaths as 鈥渁 massacre鈥� on Twitter.
鈥淭hirty kids died in hospital without oxygen. This is not a tragedy. It鈥檚 a massacre. Is this what 70 years of freedom means for our children?鈥� he said.