Delhi: Newborn babies die after fire at hospital – BBC News

At least six newborn babies have died following a fire at a hospital in Delhi, according to police.

The blaze broke out late on Saturday evening at a hospital in the Indian capital’s Vivek Vihar region.

There were 12 babies in the unit, senior police officer Surendra Choudhary said. Another had died before the fire began.

Authorities said legal action would be taken against the owner of the hospital, who had fled.

Dramatic pictures on social media show several bursts of fire as it engulfed the entire building.

Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the fire was “heartbreaking”.

“The causes of the incident are being investigated and whoever is responsible for this negligence will not be spared,” Mr Kejriwal said.

The director of Delhi’s fire department Atul Garg told the Press Trust of India news agency that 14 fire trucks were sent to fight the blaze.

“The fire spread too fast due to a blast in an oxygen cylinder,” he said.

Officials said rescue efforts were slowed by limited access to the building, which has a single staircase and no fire escape.

The hospital is squeezed between residential houses and it is not clear yet whether it followed all safety regulations, nor what initially caused the fire.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “The fire tragedy at a hospital in Delhi is heart-rending.”

At least 27 people have perished in that blaze, local officials said. Many of the victims are believed to be children.

Families of the deceased are awaiting the results of DNA testing before the bodies can be handed over.

The arcade fire was allegedly started due to a short circuit, and within a matter of hours the two-storey building had been destroyed. When the BBC’s team reached the location, all that was visible was scrap metal and combustible debris.

Authorities continued searching for further bodies in the rubble on Sunday.

Fires are not uncommon in Indian cities as building bylaws are often flouted, residential and commercial areas not clearly segregated and enforcement of safety regulations can be lax.

Additional reporting by Roxy Gagdekar Chhara, BBC Gujarati