Tragedy at Kosmos Hospital: Staff Member Dies in Devastating Fire

A catastrophic fire at Kosmos Superspeciality Hospital in Anand Vihar, Delhi, claimed the life of a 28-year-old housekeeping staff member, Amit, on Saturday afternoon. The blaze, which erupted around 12:20 p.m. in the hospital’s server room on the ground floor, triggered a chaotic evacuation of patients and staff as thick smoke engulfed the multi-storey building on Vikas Marg.

According to Delhi Police, a PCR call alerted authorities at 12:20 p.m., prompting the deployment of eight fire tenders to control the flames. Eight patients were swiftly evacuated and transferred to the nearby Pushpanjali Hospital as a precaution. Three staff members—Amit, Har Devi, and Naresh, the latter two from the dialysis unit—were rescued and rushed to Pushpanjali Hospital. Tragically, Amit was declared dead on arrival, while Har Devi, Naresh, and the evacuated patients were reported stable.

Preliminary investigations suggest Amit initially fled to the rooftop to escape the smoke but, for reasons yet unclear, locked himself in a third-floor bathroom, where he likely succumbed to smoke inhalation. His body has been sent for post-mortem examination. “We suspect he was overcome by smoke,” said DCP (Shahdara) Prashant Priya Gautam.

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Hospital owner R.K. Sachdeva attributed the fire to a short circuit, noting that staff heroically rescued patients before the tragedy. However, unconfirmed reports suggest oxygen cylinder explosions may have exacerbated the blaze, raising questions about fire safety compliance.

A case has been registered under sections 287 and 106(1) of the BNS (equivalent to 285/304A IPC), and a detailed probe is underway to investigate potential safety lapses. This incident follows a deadly fire at a Vivek Vihar neonatal hospital in 2024, highlighting ongoing concerns about fire safety in Delhi’s healthcare facilities.

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