19 newborns rescued from blaze at west Delhi hospital after short circuit

Nineteen newborns were rescued after a fire broke out in the early hours of Friday in the basement of a four-storey building, from which a hospital specialising in neonatal care also operated, in west Delhi’s Vaishali Colony in Dabri near Janakpuri, the Delhi Police said on Friday.

- Shiv Sunny

A total of 45 firefighters in nine fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and no casualty was reported, said Atul Garg, director of Delhi Fire Services. Police said that no arrests have been made so far.

According to M Harsha Vardhan, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (Dwarka), the fire was caused by a short circuit in the basement of the building.

While all 19 babies were reported safe and were either undergoing treatment at other hospitals or were discharged, Friday morning’s fire was a close shave for them, fire officials said. “It was a miracle that all the children were rescued safely. Even a 10-minute delay, which would have been the case if the blaze occurred during the day, could have been catastrophic,” Garg said. Fire officials said even though the blaze contained itself to the basement, the building was rapidly heating up, which was a challenge for firefighters.

DCP Vardhan said that the legalities concerning the hospital’s operations were being investigated. “We have asked the hospital owner to produce the license, registration, and other documents,” said the DCP.

Garg, however, said that prima facie the hospital did not require a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the fire department.