Fire at a New Delhi day care centre kills seven infants

People look at the burnt building of a baby care centre in New Delhi, India. Photo / AP

A fire in a baby care centre in India’s capital New Delhi has killed seven infants.

Rescuers carried 12 newborns from the centre to a nearby hospital but five of them died due to smoke inhalation, fire officer Atul Garg said.

The five others survived and are being treated for smoke inhalation, he added.

The fire on the first floor of the centre was extinguished in about an hour, said Suresh Kumar, another fire officer.

Burnt registration cards lie on the floor of a baby care centre in New Delhi, India, on Sunday. Photo / AP

The cause of the fire in Vivek Vihar district of east Delhi was being investigated.

Earlier Saturday, at least 27 people were killed in a big fire at a crowded amusement park in the city of Rajkot in Gujarat state in western India.

Fires are common in India, where builders and residents often flout building laws and safety codes.