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A fire broke out at a private hospital on Dabri-Palam Road in south-west Delhi late Sunday night, prompting the evacuation of around 15 patients. No injuries were reported, officials said on Monday.
According to police, the Sagarpur police station received information about the fire around 10.27pm. Firefighters and police teams rushed to the spot, while hospital staff began efforts to contain the blaze.
Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Amit Goel said the fire had been extinguished by the hospital staff and security guards the time police personnel reached the hospital.
“On reaching the hospital, it was found that the fire had already been extinguished by the staff with the help of fire extinguishers. Preliminary inquiry revealed that the fire broke out due to a short circuit in the electricity meter panel. Three fire tenders and BSES staff also reached the spot. At the time of the incident, around 15 patients were present at the hospital and were safely shifted by the hospital administration. No injury or casualty was reported,” Goel said.
The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said it received a call about the incident and dispatched five fire tenders. The fire was brought under control by around 10.40 pm.
“Fire was confined to an electrical junction box on the ground floor. The building had multiple exits, including a rear door and balconies, which helped ensure the safe evacuation of patients. The hospital also had the required firefighting equipment. We are verifying whether the building had a valid fire safety clearance,” a fire officer said.
Police said an inquiry into the incident is underway. Senior officers said no violations had surfaced during the preliminary inquiry.
The Delhi Fire Services said it has recently deployed additional fire tenders near Palam Village following a spate of fire incidents in the area. The move comes months after a massive blaze in March killed nine members of a family in Palam, triggering questions about emergency response times and the availability of firefighting equipment in the locality.
Following the incident, residents and family members had alleged that fire tenders reached the spot nearly 30 minutes after the blaze was reported and that a skylift took another 30-40 minutes to arrive and become operational. Fire officials had maintained that the response was in accordance with protocol, but said steps were subsequently taken to strengthen deployment in the area.
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