Delhi: Newborns die after hospital fire

At least six newborns have died following a fire at a Delhi hospital, police said.

The fire broke out on Saturday evening in a hospital in the Vivek Vihar region, the Indian capital.

There were 12 babies in the unit, police officer Surendra Choudhary said. Another was dead before the fire started.

The authorities announced that legal action would be taken against the owner of the hospital, who had fled.

Dramatic images posted on social media show several bursts of fire engulfing the building.

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

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

Delhi Fire Chief Atul Garg told the Press Trust of India news agency that 14 fire trucks had been sent to tackle the blaze.

“The fire spread too quickly because of an explosion in an oxygen cylinder,” he explained.

Authorities said rescue efforts were slowed by limited access to the building, which has only one staircase and no emergency exit.

The hospital is wedged between residential houses. It is not yet clear whether all safety regulations were followed or what the initial cause of the fire was.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X: “The tragedy of the fire at a hospital in Delhi is heartbreaking. »

At least 27 people died in this fire, local authorities said. Most of the victims are believed to be children.

The families of the deceased are waiting for the results of DNA tests before they can hand over the bodies.

Investigators are looking into whether sparks from a welding machine started the fire, according to local media.

CCTV footage reportedly showed a welding machine operating on top of piles of flammable materials, according to The Indian Express newspaper, which cited a government official.

A short circuit is believed to have caused the fire.

Hours after the fire started, the two-story building was destroyed. When the BBC team arrived on scene, all that was visible was scrap metal and combustible debris.

Authorities continued to search the rubble for more bodies on Sunday.

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

Additional reporting by Roxy Gagdekar Chhara, BBC Gujarati