Delhi children's hospital fire: Police apprehends Baby care centre owner
Dr Kichi, who was absconding after the incident, has been detained and is being taken to Vivek Vihar police station in Shahdara.
The Delhi Police on Sunday apprehended Dr Naveen Khichi, the owner of the Baby Care New Born hospital in at East Delhi’s Vivek Vihar, and Dr Akash, who was on duty, a day after a massive fire killed seven new born babies and injured five other infants.
Kichi, who was absconding after the incident, has been detained and is being taken to Vivek Vihar police station in Shahdara.
Children hospital fire: Delhi govt orders investigation into incident that killed 7
Deputy Commissioner of police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary has said that the owner has been booked under sections 336 (act endangering life of personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the fire department officials, the blaze broke out at the hospital at around 11:30 pm on Saturday and soon spread to two other adjacent buildings.
Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said 12 newborns were rescued from the medical facility but seven of them died. Five babies are undergoing treatment who have received minor burn injuries.
Garg further said that it was a very tough operation. “We made two teams. One team started firefighting because there was a blast of cylinders, we can say the chain of blast of cylinders. So, we had to save ourselves also. We started rescue operations for babies as well.”
Delhi Hospital fire: Health minister orders probe; compensation to families
According to the eyewitnesses, locals and members of an NGO were the first to rush to help. Some residents climbed the building from the back side and rescued some of the newborns.
Further, an investigation into the matter has been launched and legal action has been initiated against the owner.
Several leaders including President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal condoled the death of children and prayed for strength to the bereaved parents.
PM Modi has also announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each deceased in the fire tragedy.
"In the wake of the fire tragedy at a hospital in Delhi, the Prime Minister has announced that an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. Rs. 50,000 would be given to each of those injured," the Prime Ministers' office posted on X.
Delhi children's hospital fire: PM Modi, CM Kejriwal condole death of 7 babies
Kejriwal also said those responsible for negligence will not be spared and strictest punishment will be given.
Meanwhile, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo has also said that the commission has taken cognisance of the fire incident.
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