Fire at Children’s Hospital Kills Seven Newborns in India

Rescuers carried 12 newborns from the hospital to another facility, but five of them died due to smoke inhalation, Al Jazeera reported citing the fire officer Atul Garg on Sunday.

Five others survived and are being treated for smoke inhalation, he added.

The fire broke out late on Saturday night in the Baby Care Hospital in New Delhi’s Vivek Vihar area.

“All the 12 newborn babies were rescued from the hospital with the help of other people,” said police officer Surendra Choudhary in a statement, adding that when they reached the hospital, several of the infants were dead.

The owner of the children’s hospital has fled, police said, with Choudhary adding that legal action is being taken against the individual, who is yet to be identified.

“We all stand with those who lost their innocent children in this accident,” he said on X. “The causes of the incident are being investigated, and whoever is responsible for this negligence will not be spared.”

The incident came hours after more than two dozen people, including at least nine children, were killed in a big fire at a crowded amusement park in Rajkot in the western state of Gujarat. Two people were arrested in connection with the incident, local media reports said.