Fire kills at least seven newborn babies at Delhi children’s hospital

Owner of the medical centre in Vivek Vihar has been charged with manslaughter

The hospital, between residential buildings, is believed to have been running an illegal operation to fill oxygen cylinders. AFP

At least seven newborn babies were killed in a fire at a Delhi hospital at the weekend.

The blaze broke out late on Saturday at Baby Care New Born Hospital in the capital's Vivek Vihar district. There were 12 babies in the unit, police said.

Images on television channels and social media showed people scaling a wall of the hospital to rescue the newborns.

The city’s authorities sent 14 fire engines to contain the blaze.

The hospital, tucked between residential buildings, is believed to have been running an illegal operation to fill oxygen cylinders.

Atul Garg, director of the Delhi fire department, said the blaze spread quickly after an oxygen tank exploded.

Three dozen oxygen cylinders exploded in total, causing extensive damage as the blaze spread farther.

An initial police investigation found the hospital lacked a fire extinguisher and an emergency exit. The hospital’s licence also expired on March 31 this year.

Deputy police commissioner Surendra Choudhary said the doctor on duty at the time of the incident was not qualified to treat newborns in need of neonatal intensive care.

“Initially, we had filed a case for negligence. After the inspection, we have also invoked culpable homicide not amounting to murder [manslaughter] and attempt to commit culpable homicide,” Mr Choudhary said.

The owner of the hospital was arrested late on Sunday evening. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the hospital fire was “heart-rending".

The hospital was in the spotlight in 2021 after a nurse assaulted a newborn during treatment, fracturing his hand, with the footage captured by security cameras.