hansi (UP) (PTI): Yakum Mansuri was sleeping on the pavement outside the children's ward of the medical college in Jhansi on Friday night when a fire broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit. He broke in through a window and managed to rescue some newborns but not his two daughters.

Charred bodies of some babies were shown to him by the authorities for identification but to no avail. "I couldn't recognise them," said the grief-stricken father, still desperate to find his daughters.

The blaze at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that claimed the lives of 10 newborns, many of them born prematurely, has been doused but the air around is heavy with sorrow.

Parents, mostly young mothers, and their families who gathered outside the children's ward clung to one another, drawing strength in their darkest hour. The women's faces are hidden behind veils but their grief was palpable in their cries.

Santoshi, who gave birth just 11 days ago, sat on the ground sobbing with her face covered by her palms.

"I heard a noise and came running. But how could I save my child? There was no information, no one told us what was happening," she said in a voice shaking with grief, not ready to accept the loss of her child.

The fire broke out around 10.45 pm on Friday, possibly due to an electrical short circuit. As the rescue operation unfolded, many anxious parents and their families kept a silent vigil, struggling to comprehend the scale of the tragedy that had struck them.

While 10 newborns died in the fire, 16 others remain critically injured.

Among the heartbroken parents is Sanjana, who had just given birth to her first child prematurely.

"My child was born after seven months and was admitted here. When the fire broke out, no one could save him. He died," the wailing mother told PTI Videos.

Nearby, Sonu stood frozen, his face a mask of grief. He lost his seven-month-old son in the fire.

"My son had been admitted to the NICU for over a month. When the fire broke out, we were not allowed to enter. They saved many children, but 10 were burned. One of them was my son," he said to PTI video, his voice cracking with pain.

Sonu's brother Parsuram said, "We sold everything we had and took loans to buy medicine to ensure that he got the treatment he needed. Despite all this, we couldn't save the baby."

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia to the parents of each deceased and also ordered a three-tier probe into the incident. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths and announced an assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased.

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New Delhi, Nov 16: South cinema star Nayanthara on Saturday criticised actor Dhanush, who produced her 2015 Tamil movie "Naanum Rowdy Dhaan", for refusing permission to use footage from the film in her upcoming Netflix documentary.

In a three-page open letter posted on her Instagram page, the "Jawan" actor slammed Dhanush for sending a legal notice demanding Rs 10 crore in damages after the trailer of the documentary, titled "Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale", was released online.

“After two long years of battling it out with you for an NOC (No Objection Certificate) and waiting for your approval for our Netflix documentary release, we finally decided to give up, re-edit, and settle for the current version since you declined to permit the usage of 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' songs or visual cuts—even the photographs, to say the least—despite multiple requests.

“The songs of 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' are appreciated to this day because the lyrics came from true emotions. Knowing that there’s no better music we could use in our documentary, your refusal to give us the opportunity to use it, or even just lyrics from the songs, broke my heart,” the letter read.

Released in 2015, "Naanum Rowdy Dhaan" was a romantic comedy written and directed by Nayanthara’s husband, Vignesh Shivan. The actor starred opposite Vijay Sethupathi in the movie, which was produced by Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films.

“The vengeance you have been harbouring against the film, my partner, and me doesn’t just affect us but the people who have contributed their effort and time to this project.

“This Netflix documentary about me, my life, my love, and marriage includes clips of many of my industry well-wishers who have graciously contributed and memories from multiple films, but sadly does not include the most special and important film, 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan',” Nayanthara said.

Dhanush has not yet responded to her letter.

The 39-year-old actor said she was shocked after receiving a legal notice for using a three-second behind-the-scenes clip in the documentary.

“We were startled to read those lines wherein you questioned the usage of some videos (just three seconds) that were shot on our personal devices, and that too BTS visuals that are already very much publicly present on social media, and claimed a sum of Rs 10 crore as damages for the mere three seconds.

“This is an all-time low from you and speaks volumes about your character. I wish you were half the person you portray on stage at audio launches in front of your innocent fans, but clearly, you do not practice what you preach, at least not with me and my partner,” she said.

Nayanthara said she would be giving a “befitting” reply to Dhanush’s notice through lawful means.

“Does a producer become an emperor controlling the lives, freedom, and liberty of all the persons on the set? Any deviation from the emperor’s dictum attracts legal ramifications?

“Your refusal to give an NOC for the use of elements of 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' for our Netflix documentary might be justified by you to the courts from a copyright angle, but I wish to remind you that there is a moral side to it, which has to be defended in the court of God,” she added.

Nayanthara noted that the film was released almost 10 years ago but Dhanush continues to act “vile while wearing a mask in front of the world”.

The actor added that she hasn’t forgotten “all the horrible things” Dhanush said about the film, which became one of his biggest hits as a producer.

“The words you said pre-release have already left some unhealable scars on us. I learned through film circles that your ego was supremely hurt after the film became a blockbuster. Your displeasure over its success was perceptible even to the common man through award functions connected with this film (Filmfare 2016),” she said.

“Courtesy and decency mandate large-hearted behaviour in such matters. I believe the people of Tamil Nadu, or anyone with a right conscience, would not appreciate such tyranny, even if it comes from an established personality like you,” she added.

Nayanthara concluded the letter by saying that in a world where it’s easy to look down upon others, “there is also joy in others’ joys, there is happiness in seeing other people’s happiness, and hope that comes from others’ stories”.

“That is the reason behind our Netflix documentary. I suggest you also watch it, and maybe it might change your mind. It is important to #SpreadLove, and I hope and pray that someday you are also fully capable of doing it and not just saying it,” she said.

 
 
 
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