NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Sunday arrested the owner of children’s hospital Naveen Kichi after seven newborn babies were killed in fire.
In a tragic incident, a massive fire engulfed a private children’s hospital in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar late Saturday night, claiming the lives of seven newborns. The
Delhi Fire
Services (DFS) officials said that the blaze started at around 11:30 pm at the Baby Care New Born Hospital and quickly spread to two adjacent buildings.
Despite the efforts of 16 fire tenders, the fire could not be contained before it took a heavy toll.
The two-storey building housing the hospital was equipped with oxygen cylinders, which exploded due to the intense heat, causing damage to the adjacent structures.
According to another fire official, the fire also affected two boutiques, a portion of IndusInd Bank, a shop on the ground floor, an ambulance, and a scooter parked outside the building.
President
Droupadi Murmu
expressed her condolences to the bereaved parents, while Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal
and Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj assured that those responsible for negligence would face the strictest punishment. Kejriwal also stated that the government would stand by the families who lost their children in the fire and ensure proper treatment for the injured.
DFS chief Atul Garg confirmed that although 12 newborns were rescued from the hospital, seven of them succumbed to their injuries. Five babies are currently receiving treatment at another hospital, with some having sustained minor burn injuries. The deceased have been taken to the GTB Hospital for postmortem examination.
