Firefighters rescue people amidst chaos during Children’s Hospital fire in northern India
by Surya PrakashA massive fire at a Baby Care NewBorn Hospital in northern India’s Delhi resulted in the tragic death of seven infants.
The incident took place at Vivek Vihar in East Delhi on May 25.
Visuals showed a fierce fire was raging in the hospital, with flames leaping high and spreading rapidly. The intense heat and thick smoke engulfed the building, creating a terrifying scene of chaos and destruction.
According to reports the devastating fire broke out at Baby Care New Born Hospital in East Delhi’s Vivek Vihar on Saturday night, resulting in the deaths of seven newborns. The blaze, which started around 11:32 pm, rapidly intensified due to numerous oxygen cylinders that began to explode, spreading the flames and causing extensive damage.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of chaos and heroism as local residents and members of the non-profit Shaheed Seva Dal scaled walls and climbed from the rear side of the building to rescue trapped infants. They were soon joined by fire department officials and police.
The tragedy has unveiled numerous lapses in the hospital’s safety measures. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Surendra Chaudhary, the facility lacked fire extinguishers and an emergency exit. Additionally, the doctor on duty was not qualified to treat newborns in need of neonatal intensive care, and the hospital had more than the authorized number of oxygen cylinders.
Further investigations revealed that the hospital’s license, issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), had expired on March 31, nearly two months before the fire. Dr. Naveen Khichi, the hospital’s owner who fled after the incident, was arrested on Sunday. Dr. Khichi, who operates several other hospitals in Delhi, is currently being questioned, along with another doctor who was present during the fire.
This incident is not the first controversy for Baby Care New Born Hospital. In 2021, the hospital staff was accused of assaulting a newborn, with security footage showing a nurse beating the baby, resulting in a fractured hand. The hospital was also found to be unregistered at that time.
The community mourns the loss of innocent lives and calls for stringent measures to ensure such a tragedy does not happen again.
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