At least 55 infants died inside a hospital in western Indian state of Maharashtra due to lack of ventilators and oxygen cylinders last month, local media reports said Friday.

The deaths were reported at special newborn care unit in Nashik civil hospital in August.

"In the month of August we have had 55 deaths and the reason is that we have no ventilators," a local news agency Asian News International (ANI) quoted G M Hole as having said.

Local authorities however deny the deaths were due to medical negligence, saying most deaths occurred because the infants were referred from private hospitals during "critical condition at last stage."

Last month in northern state of Uttar Pradesh, a probe panel was appointed by local government to look into the deaths of over 60 children at a medical college hospital. The deaths were caused by the lack of oxygen in hospital.

source: xinhua