Still No Clarity On What Caused Hosp Fire

New Delhi: Even 72 hours after the Vivek Vihar hospital fire that killed six babies on Saturday night, its origin remains a mystery. While the preliminary investigation focuses on the blaze starting from oxygen cylinders, investigators are also examining two other potential causes — a mishap on the rooftop or an electrical malfunction due to a short circuit in the wiring or equipment.Five of the 32 oxygen cylinders had exploded, suggesting that they could have triggered the fire. Police have also found that the accused, Dr Naveen Khichi, had violated the oxygen cylinder storage guidelines by keeping them near the neonatal unit on the first floor where the children were being treated.On the terrace of Baby Care Newborn Hospital, police have found a generator room and a small cooking gas cylinder in close proximity, and are investigating whether a malfunction in the generator room or someone using the cooking cylinder had sparked the fire.The cops have also found more evidence of hospital employees having ample time to evacuate the infants. Besides a delay in reporting, CCTV footage also shows two individuals rushing out of the building when the fire had just started. “There seems to be a window of at least 10 minutes during which the fire spread rapidly, and there was time to take the babies out,” said a source. Later, the fire spread downwards. While six babies perished in the fire, five children in the other room survived. They were shifted to another hospital.“At the time of the incident, Dr Akash, who has been arrested, and a driver were inside the hospital. Akash told us that he had tried to enter the building but it was filled with smoke, and he tried to alert police. However, we received the first PCR call at 11.30pm, a minute after the first blast occurred,” a source said.On Tuesday, the cops confronted Dr Khichi and Dr Akash and also questioned them separately. “Khichi told us that he had four doctors, only one of whom was an MBBS, the rest were BAMS (ayurveda). On several occasions, two or more children were kept in one bed,” said a police officer.Police also worked with two nurses from the hospital to reconstruct the sequence of events. “The nurses only left the building after all the children were shifted to another hospital. They were traumatised,” said an officer.In one of the affidavits by Dr Khichi, it’s claimed that the building is below the prescribed height required for a fire clearance, but all arrangements were made to tackle fire. Police may visit his house in Paschim Vihar as they suspect that he used to treat children there as well.
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