A fire has claimed 55 lives and injured more than 300 people in the national capital so far this year, official data reads.
The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) reported 16 fatalities in January, 16 in February, 12 in March, four in April, and seven up to May 26. Injuries numbered 51 in January, 42 in February, 62 in March, 78 in April, and 71 up to May 26.
From January 1 to May 26, the DFS received 8,912 fire-related calls, marking a 32.26% increase from the 6,436 calls received in the same period last year. In 2023, 36 people lost their lives due to fires during this period.
On Sunday, six newborns died after a massive fire broke out at a private children’s hospital in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar. The blaze began at the Baby Care New Born Hospital around 11:30 pm on Saturday and spread to two adjacent buildings.
Sixteen fire tenders were deployed to extinguish the blaze and rescue 13 children from the hospital, six of whom died. One child had already died before the fire.
DFS chief Atul Garg said the neonatal hospital lacked a fire NOC and proper fire combat arrangements, including stored oxygen cylinders that exploded. He emphasized the importance of fire safety measures, such as installing sprinklers.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed condolences for the babies and their parents. Police arrested the hospital owner for operating with an expired license and without qualified doctors or fire clearance.
The Delhi Police also booked two doctors under IPC sections for endangering life and safety, causing death by negligence, culpable homicide, and attempted culpable homicide. Forensic and crime branch teams are investigating the fire’s cause.
On the same day, three people died in a fire in a four-story residential building in Krishna Nagar, east Delhi.
Earlier in the year, on February 15, 11 people died and four were injured in an explosion and fire at a paint factory in Dayalpur market, outer Delhi.
Additionally, in February, an 83-year-old woman died and her granddaughter was injured after jumping from a fourth-floor apartment in southwest Delhi’s Dwarka during a fire. (With inputs from PTI)
