A fire broke out early Wednesday in a neonatal nursery at a prominent government hospital in Pakistan’s capital, resulting in the tragic death of 14 infants, as confirmed by hospital authorities and government officials. The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad was housing around 15 newborns in the nursery when the fire started at approximately 6:45 a.m. local time following an explosion of an air-conditioning unit compressor on the third floor, according to statements from hospital staff and rescue personnel.
The blaze was contained within the nursery located in the gynecology ward, with the rest of the hospital unaffected and no additional injuries reported, as indicated by hospital sources and eyewitnesses. Footage from television broadcasts depicted rescue workers utilizing ladders to access the area through shattered windows.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal verified the tragic loss of at least 14 infants. Dr. Aneeza Jalil, a hospital spokesperson, mentioned that one baby was rescued by a doctor. The remains of six babies were returned to their families, while the rest were scheduled for release shortly.
The news of the children’s deaths provoked an outpouring of shock and sorrow across the nation. Police presence was heightened at the hospital as distressed parents and relatives gathered, some mourning while others demanding accountability and seeking explanations regarding the fire’s origin and the sufficiency of firefighting equipment in the nursery.
Mohammad Sami, who had given birth three days before, recounted how her baby was under intensive care in the nursery at the time of the fire. Overwhelmed with emotion, she expressed her loss, saying, “I don’t know what to say or whom to blame. I have lost my child.”
Firefighters promptly responded to extinguish the blaze, and rescue teams initiated cooling operations at the scene, as reported by local media. Islamabad Chief Commissioner Suhail Ashraf later confirmed the fire had been put out, with authorities in communication with the affected families.
In a swift response, the Islamabad district magistrate appointed a multiagency investigative committee tasked with submitting a report within 24 hours. The committee’s mandate includes probing the fire’s cause and spread, assessing the presence of adequate fire safety measures, and evaluating the emergency response protocols, as outlined in an official government communication.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif conveyed their condolences over the tragic incident. Sharif emphasized the irreparable nature of a tragedy involving children and promptly ordered an investigation. President Asif Ali Zardari also extended sympathies to the affected families, labeling the deaths as heartbreaking and irreplaceable.
Zardari stressed the identification and legal repercussions for those accountable and urged hospitals to enhance fire safety measures and emergency procedures, especially in units caring for newborns. PIMS, a major public hospital in Islamabad, was recently in the spotlight for conducting a medical examination of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.