Six newborn babies have died after a fire tore through a children’s hospital in the Indian capital, with people charging into the blaze to rescue the infants, police said on Sunday.
“All the 12 newborn babies were rescued from the hospital with the help of other people,” senior police officer Surendra Choudhary said in a statement, but adding that when they reached medical attention, six were dead.
“Legal action is being taken against the owner of the hospital,” Choudhary said.
He did not give further details on how the children died.
In addition to the six who died, another baby among the 12 brought out of the suffocating fumes was dead before the fire began, Choudhary said, without elaborating further.
The fire broke out late Saturday in the New Born Baby Care hospital in Delhi’s Vivek Vihar area.
Delhi Fire Department Director Atul Garg said 14 fire trucks were sent to battle the blaze, he told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency.
“The fire spread too fast due to a blast in an oxygen cylinder,” he told PTI.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called the situation “heartbreaking”.
“We all stand with those who lost their innocent children in this accident,” he said on social media.
“The causes of the incident are being investigated, and whoever is responsible for this negligence will not be spared.”
Survivors reported having to kick down doors and leap out of windows to escape the inferno that swept through a centre packed full of young people enjoying games including bowling, Indian media reported on Sunday.
Lines of bodies draped in white cloths were laid out before being taken away from the centre in Rajkot, a city in the western state of Gujarat.
The four children reported dead were all aged under 12, said police, who warned that many of the corpses were so badly burned it was difficult to identify them.
More than 300 people were enjoying the summer holiday weekend in the two-storey structure at the TRP amusement and theme park when the blaze broke out on Saturday evening, Rajkot fire officer Ilesh Kher told reporters on the night of the fire
“People got trapped as a temporary structure at the facility collapsed near the entrance, making it difficult for the people to come out,” he said.
The flames spread rapidly because of the structure’s flammable material, he added.
‘Tried to escape’“We have confirmed the death of 27 persons in the fire,” senior police officer Radhika Bharai told reporters overnight, updating an earlier toll of 24.
“The bodies are charred beyond recognition and hence their identification is difficult.” Other officers warned the toll may rise further.
Survivors recalled their horror as they struggled to flee the fire.
“We were bowling when two staff members told us there was a fire on the ground floor and we should leave. The area was soon full of smoke,” Pruthvirajsinh Jadeja told The Indian Express newspaper.
“We tried to escape from the rear door, but couldn’t. I saw a beam of light coming from outside. I kicked down the tin sheet and five of us made our way out, jumping from the first floor.”
Jadeja added that at least 70 people, including children, were on the first floor when the fire broke out.
An Instagram page that appears to belong to the entertainment facility advertises it as an amusement and theme park, where trampolining, go-karting, bowling and paintball are offered, among other recreational activities.
Officials said at least four people have been detained for questioning.
Gujarat is the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said he was “extremely distressed by the fire”, in a post on social media.
Fires are common in India due to poor building practices, overcrowding and a lack of adherence to safety regulations.
“The police have detained four persons associated with the game zone for questioning,” he said. “We are trying to get more details about the owners of the facility.”
More than 300 people were in the two-storey structure at the TRP amusement and theme park when the blaze broke out as it was a summer holiday weekend, Rajkot fire officer Ilesh Kher told reporters.
“People got trapped as a temporary structure at the facility collapsed near the entrance, making it difficult for the people to come out,” he said. The flames spread rapidly because of its flammable material, he added. Pictures from the scene showed a corrugated metal structure largely in ruins.
Gujarat is the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who posted on X: “Extremely distressed by the fire mishap in Rajkot. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. Prayers for the injured.”
It took nearly an hour to douse the fire, with about a dozen ambulances carrying the injured to hospital. Fire department officials said a short-circuit was suspected as the cause and police at the site said the bodies of the dead were heavily burned, making identification difficult.
