Guwahati: In a touching act of courage and dedication, two nurses at a hospital in Assam's Nagaon district were widely praised for their bravery during an earthquake that struck the region on Sunday evening. The tremors were particularly strong in Nagaon, located on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra river, near the epicentre in Udalguri on the northern side.As the quake hit, the two nurses at Aditya Hospital remained resolute in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), shielding newborns and holding onto baby warmers to ensure their safety. CCTV footage captured the moment they sprang into action -- rising from their chairs as the tremors began and using their bodies to protect the three infants in the NICU cribs.Porishmita Bora, one of the nurses on duty, said there was a real risk of medical equipment falling on the babies. "We were on the first floor of a five-storey building. If the building had collapsed, we all would have perished. But we chose to stand firm to protect the babies in the NICU, even if it meant risking our lives," Bora told TOI on Monday.Though she had experienced earthquakes during previous shifts, Bora said this one was particularly intense. The NICU was filled with equipment such as oxygen cylinders and monitors, all of which shook violently during the tremors. "Even the babies started crying when the earthquake shook the hospital building. The newborns under our care were just one or two days old," she added.In recognition of their exemplary actions, the hospital management honoured Porishmita and fellow nurse Lakhi Moni Das on Monday. Their bravery was widely acknowledged after CCTV footage from the NICU went viral. Assam health minister Ashok Singhal praised their "courage in the face of impending calamity" on social media, commending them for selflessly protecting the newborns. One nurse was seen holding onto two cribs, while the other shielded a third baby. "The commitment and compassion of our healthcare professionals continue to inspire," Singhal wrote on X on Monday.Kuldip Nath, the hospital manager, said, "We have no words to praise our health staff. While the dedication of the two nurses went viral, our doctors and other health staff also continued their duties in the operating theatre during the earthquake." He added that there were about 100 patients in the hospital at the time.