Fire at Delhi hospital's ICU leaves 64-yr-old patient dead

A 64-year-old patient died at a hospital in Delhi's Rohini area in the early hours of Saturday after his oxygen support was disrupted due to a fire at the facility, officials said.

The fire, apparently caused due to a short circuit, broke out on the third floor of Brahm Shakti Hospital, Pooth Khurd, they said.

The information regarding the fire was received around 5 am, following which the local police reached the spot and called fire tenders, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Pranav Tayal said.

Delhi Fire Services Director Atul Garg said a total of nine fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames. The fire has been completely doused, Garg said.

All were safely rescued except one patient, who was admitted to the ICU and on a ventilator support, the DCP said.

Holi, a kidney patient and resident of Prem Nagar, was taken out but he died due to the disruption in power and oxygen support, DCP Tayal said.

No operational fire fighting system was found in place and the fire exit door was found locked/blocked, they said.

A Delhi health department official, however, said the hospital was in possession of a fire NOC. On the fire equipment not working, the official said it is the responsibility of the fire department to assess the equipment.

A case under Indian Penal Code sections 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery), and 304A (causing death by negligence) is being registered in this regard at the Vijay Vihar police station, the DCP said.

Fire incidents were reported at Safdarjung Hospital in south Delhi and at Makkar Multispeciality Hospital in the eastern part of the city on May 27 and there was no casualty.