Flames spread through the entire hospital within minutes, heard 3-4 explosions, say eyewitnesses of Baby Care Hospital tragedy in East Delhi’s Vivek Vihar 

Delhi: The blaze at East Delhi’s Baby Care Hospital, which started at 11:45 pm and claimed the lives of seven infants, spread through the building and a car parked nearby within minutes, multiple eyewitnesses said.

“Around 11:45 pm, I was heading home from Chintamani restaurant to Vivek Vihar B Block when I saw the building on fire. People from the hospital were rushing out to save their lives. I stopped my car and helped them get to safety,” said Paras Bhutani, an eyewitness and resident of Jhilmil Colony.

Another eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “As the fire surged, a car parked outside the building caught flames and exploded. There were about three to four explosions in the building, likely from the cylinders in the hospital.” The fire was so intense that it spread to the neighbouring building, causing significant damage, the witness added.

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“Fire services personnel, along with policemen, rescued people from the building by using a ladder to climb to the upper floors of the hospital,” the eyewitness said.

The police confirmed that at least seven infants perished in the massive fire at a children’s hospital in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar. There were 12 newborns in the hospital at the time of the incident. One died before the incident, six succumbed to the fire, and the remaining five were shifted to another hospital for treatment.

An FIR has been filed against Naveen Kichi, the owner of the New Born Baby Care Hospital, under IPC sections 336 (endangering lives and personal safety of others), 304A (death by negligence), and 34 (common intention). Kichi is currently on the run. A police team has been dispatched to Jaipur where he is believed to be hiding, a senior official said.

Sharing updates about the rescue efforts, DCP Shahdara Surendra Chaudhary said, “There were 12 newborns at the hospital. All of them were rushed to the East Delhi Advance NICU Hospital in Vivek Vihar for treatment. Out of them, six were declared dead on arrival while one was said to have died earlier. The seven bodies have been shifted to GTB Hospital for postmortem.”

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The Vivek Vihar police station received a PCR call about the fire at the New Born Baby Care Hospital and an adjacent building at around 11:30 pm on Saturday. A police team rushed to the spot and 16 fire tenders were deployed by the Delhi Fire Services. The fire was extinguished early on Sunday.

No casualties or injuries were reported from the building adjacent to the hospital, which was also damaged by the flames.

The Prime Minister’s Office has announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of each of the seven victims and Rs 50,000 for the relatives of the injured babies.

Expressing his condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “The fire tragedy at a hospital in Delhi is heart-rending. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this incredibly difficult time. I pray that those injured recover at the earliest.”

The President also expressed grief and tweeted, “The news of the death of many children due to a fire in a hospital in Vivek Vihar, Delhi is heart-rending. May God give strength to the bereaved parents and relatives to bear this shock. I pray for the speedy recovery of other children injured in this incident.”

Responding to the incident, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena said, “Have asked Chief Secy to institute an inquiry into the tragic incidents of fire in children’s hospital in Delhi. Also instructed CP to ensure all that is needful. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved families. I assure all relief & will ensure that guilty are brought to book.”

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the incident “heartbreaking” and said the “causes of the incident are being investigated and whoever is responsible for this negligence will not be spared.”

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also commented on the tragedy, saying, “Very unfortunate incident reported. I have asked Secretary (Health) to update about the current situation. Culprits will not be spared. Strictest punishment will be ensured for those found negligent or involved in any wrongdoing.”