A blaze broke out in the nursery for newborns at a prominent government hospital in Pakistan’s capital early Wednesday, resulting in the tragic loss of 14 infants, as per hospital authorities and government sources. The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad was home to around 15 newborns in the nursery when the fire started around 6:45 a.m. local time following an explosion of an air-conditioning unit compressor on the third floor, as confirmed by hospital and rescue officials.
The fire was contained within the nursery located in the gynecology ward, with the rest of the hospital unaffected and no other casualties reported, according to hospital sources and eyewitnesses. Visuals from television broadcasts depicted rescue personnel using ladders to access the area through shattered windows.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal verified the tragic demise of at least 14 infants. Dr. Aneeza Jalil, a hospital spokesperson, disclosed, “One baby was saved by a doctor.” She mentioned that the bodies of six infants had been handed over to their families, while the remaining bodies would be released shortly.
The loss of these children has caused shock and mourning nationwide. Police presence was heightened at the hospital as bereaved parents and relatives gathered, with some in tears demanding accountability and seeking clarity on the cause of the fire and the adequacy of firefighting equipment in the nursery.
Mohammad Sami, who had given birth three days earlier, shared her heartbreak as her baby was receiving critical care in the nursery when the fire erupted. “I don’t know what to say or who to blame,” she expressed tearfully. “I have lost my child.”
Firefighters promptly responded to extinguish the blaze, and rescue teams initiated cooling operations at the scene, local media sources reported. Islamabad Chief Commissioner Suhail Ashraf later confirmed the fire had been put out, and authorities were liaising with the affected families.
Following the incident, the Islamabad district magistrate appointed a multiagency fact-finding committee tasked with submitting a report within 24 hours. The committee will probe the fire’s cause and spread, assess the presence of adequate fire safety measures, and evaluate the emergency response, as per a government notification.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences over the tragic event. “A tragedy involving children is an irreparable loss,” stated Sharif, who called for an immediate investigation. President Asif Ali Zardari also extended sympathies to the families, deeming the deaths as “heartbreaking and an irreparable loss.”
Zardari urged the identification and lawful handling of those responsible and emphasized the need for hospitals to ensure robust fire safety measures and emergency protocols, particularly in wards catering to newborns. PIMS, a significant public hospital in Islamabad, was recently in the spotlight for conducting a medical examination of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.