In a devastating incident, at least six newborns lost their lives when a fire erupted at a children’s hospital in Delhi, India, late on May 25. The blaze, which broke out at a baby care centre in the Vivek Vihar area of East Delhi, prompted a swift response from emergency services.
The Delhi Fire Services received an alert at 11:32 PM, and 16 fire engines were immediately dispatched to the site. Despite their efforts, the fire claimed the lives of six newborns due to suffocation, while 12 others were rescued from the ground floor of the building and transported to the East Delhi Advance NICU hospital for treatment.
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj expressed profound sorrow over the incident, stating, “We will take such strict action that none of the officials commit such negligence in future. We are with the families who have lost their babies.” Bharadwaj’s statement underscores the commitment to ensuring accountability and preventing future tragedies.
Videos posted by Asian News International show firefighters battling the blaze as thick black smoke engulfs the building. Flames were visible raging through the lower floors, illustrating the intensity of the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. This tragedy adds to a string of recent fire-related incidents in the region. On the same night, another fire broke out at a residential building in Delhi’s Shahdara district, leading to the hospitalization of 13 people.
Earlier on May 25, a separate fire at an amusement park arcade in Rajkot, Gujarat, claimed 27 lives, including those of nine children. The incident has drawn nationwide grief, with President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing their condolences.
The spate of fires has highlighted the urgent need for stringent fire safety measures and protocols to prevent such heartbreaking losses in the future.