Delhi hospital fire: 5 oxygen cylinders burst, blaze spread to nearby buildings, says FIR

The Delhi Fire Service has said the fire is suspected to have been caused by a short-circuit in the hospital wiring. As the fire spread, the oxygen cylinders kept near the reception and on the front porch of the hospital building also caught fire causing them to burst.

The FIR, seen by The Indian Express, said, “It was stated that a PCR call was received wherein the caller stated that a fire has broken out at a hospital and a lot of people are stuck inside… CATS ambulance and fire department came and all 12 babies were shifted to the East Delhi Advance NICU Hospital”.

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams which came to the spot found “burnt debris from van”, “burnt debris near the wall”, and burnt wire pieces. The FIR stated that FSL experts told the Delhi Police it was “difficult to pick up the exhibits” since the building was “warm from the fire”. According to the FIR, the ground floor and nearby buildings were also found in a burnt condition.

The initial investigation by the police showed the Baby Care New Born Hospital, where the fire broke out around midnight, had been operating despite its registration with the Directorate General of Health Services expiring nearly two months ago. The hospital neither had a qualified doctor on duty at the time of the incident nor a clearance from the fire department.

Officials said the hospital was authorised to admit only five patients, but 12 newborns were at the facility when the fire broke out and were under the care of only two nurses and a doctor.

Dr Naveen Khichi, the owner of the facility, and Dr Akash, who was on duty Saturday night, were arrested Sunday evening.