New Delhi: A 64-year-old patient on a ventilator died after a fire broke out in the hospital where he was admitted in the national capital’s Rohini area, a fire official said on Saturday.
The deceased, identified as Ramsevak, a resident of Prem Nagar, was suffering with renal ailment and was on a ventilator.
According to the official, they received a call about the fire incident around 5 a.m. at the Braham Shakti Hospital, located at Rohini in northwest Delhi following which as many as nine fire tenders were immediately pressed into service.
“The fire was reported in the ICU ward on the third floor of the hospital building,” Delhi Fire Service chief Atul Garg said, adding that all the patients were safely evacuated except one who was on a life support system.
He said that no fire fighting system was found in working condition and even the exit gate was found to be locked.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police, which also received the call about the incident, have taken cognizance of it and registered an FIR under section 285 (Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 287 (Negligent conduct with respect to machinery) and 304 A (Causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code at Vijay Vihar police station.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini district) Pranav Tayal said that the patient on the ventilator expired as due to fire electricity and oxygen supply was halted.
After preliminary investigation, it was found that the cause of the fire was a short circuit.