‘Waiting for papa to celebrate Raksha Bandhan when we got the call’: Family of staffer injured in East Delhi hospital fire

At 5.40 pm, Manan received a call that shocked him. “It was from Pushpanjali Hospital… they told me my father was admitted there after a fire broke out at Kosmos Hospital,” said Manan, a hotel management student.

It was then that the family found out about the blaze.

Around 11 am, the four-storey hospital was engulfed in fire and smoke — killing one person. Ten others were rescued, including eight patients and two staff members.

According to fire officials, a call regarding the blaze was received at 12.12 pm, following which seven fire tenders were rushed to the location. By 3 pm, the fire was brought under control.

Police said the fire broke out in a server room on the ground floor of the hospital. “Eight patients and three hospital staffers — Amit (housekeeping staff), Har Devi and Naresh (dialysis room staffers) — were rescued and shifted to Pushpanjali Hospital nearby,” said DCP (Shahdara) Prashant Priya Gautam.

Police said Amit was declared dead at the hospital. “It appears he initially rushed to the roof, but later locked himself in the bathroom on the third floor to escape the blaze. His body is being shifted to the mortuary for an autopsy,” said the DCP.

Amit’s friend, Vishal Agnihotri, who worked with him until about two and a half months ago, described him as a dedicated family man with two children. “He was good at his work,” Vishal said. “He had been working at the hospital for several years.”

Outside the hospital, which is located in a residential area on Bhartendu Harish Chandra Marg, shards of glass from broken window panels were scattered around. It is flanked by a bank and a hotel on one side, and an under-construction building on the other.

Staff members said it was built around 2012–2013 and primarily specialised in orthopaedic surgeries, while also admitting patients with ailments such as fever, dengue, and road accident victims.

The hospital was evacuated following the blaze. According to a staff member, most employees were not at work due to the festival. “Around eight patients have been admitted to Pushpanjali, along with two staff members who are in the ICU,” said the staff member.

Families, meanwhile, demanded clarity.

Shekhar (21), a daily wage worker admitted to Kosmos Hospital with a fever, was shifted to Pushpanjali Hospital’s general ward after the fire. His cousins, Sanju and Prince, said he was admitted four days ago but now suffers from severe stomach pain. “Doctors haven’t said anything yet. The fire was very disturbing. We just want Shekhar to recover soon,” Prince said. They were with relatives for Raksha Bandhan when they got a call about the incident at 1 pm.

Sanju voiced concerns over hospital safety: “Hospitals are supposed to be safe places. If hospitals aren’t safe, where will we go?”

Naresh, meanwhile, is in the ICU, battling severe asphyxiation. He had been working at the hospital since its inception. Manan’s uncle, who accompanied him, said a doctor at Kosmos informed them that all medical expenses would be covered by the hospital.

Police said a case under sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) and 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the BNS has been registered against unknown persons.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. “A detailed investigation has been initiated to ascertain lapses, if any, in fire safety compliance at the hospital,” a senior police officer said.