The children died of burns and suffocation after a fire broke out in an intensive care unit in Jhansi.
A fire broke out in the neonatal unit of a hospital in northern India, killing 10 newborns and injuring 17, authorities said.
Paramedics rescued 38 newborns from the ward, which housed 49 babies at the time of the incident, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said on Saturday.
The fire broke out at 10:30pm (17:00 GMT) on Friday at the Maharani Lakshmibai Medical College in Jhansi, about 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of the country’s capital, New Delhi.
“Seventeen injured are receiving treatment in different wards and private hospitals,” Pathak told reporters in Jhansi.
Newborns died of burns and suffocation. Seven of the dead infants have been identified, while efforts to find the remaining three are ongoing, said Pathak.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but police say it may have been caused by a faulty oxygen concentrator.
Pictures from the scene posted on social media showed charred beds and walls inside the ward as worried families waited outside.
The rescued babies, who were only four days old, were placed by the side of the bed in another part of the hospital as staff connected them to intravenous drips.
There is only one baby left, a government official, who asked not to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to the media, told Reuters news agency.
Pathak said the hospital’s safety inspection was conducted in February, followed by a fire drill three months later.
“If it is found that there is a mistake, strict measures will be taken and no one will be left behind,” he said.
District officer Avinash Kumar told the Hindustan Times that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in the unit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the death “heartbreaking” in a letter on social media.
“My deepest sympathies to those who lost their innocent children in this,” Modi wrote. “I pray to God to give them the strength to endure this great loss.”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced compensation worth $5,900 to the bereaved families.
Construction fires are common in India due to poor construction and general disregard for safety regulations. Six months ago, a similar fire at a children’s hospital in New Delhi killed seven newborns.
Last October, a massive explosion involving explosives left scores of people injured in the state of Kerala.
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