A fire tore through the nursery of the maternity ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), the largest government hospital in Islamabad, on Wednesday morning, killing 14 newborn babies out of 15 who were in the ward at the time.
What Happened
The fire broke out around 7 a.m. local time on the third floor of the hospital’s Mother and Child Hospital ward. Rescue sources told CNN the blaze appears to have been triggered by an explosion in an air conditioning compressor inside the nursery. One infant survived and was rescued; the other 14 suffered severe burns and later died.
Disputed Accounts of the Response
Several parents, including a woman named Jaweria who said she lost her infant in the fire, told reporters they encountered locked doors and alleged guards prevented people from leaving the building as the fire spread. The hospital administration disputed that account, saying “all emergency exits were fully open and operational.” The discrepancy between these accounts has not been independently resolved.
Government Response
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired an emergency meeting over the deaths and ordered what officials described as the “strictest action,” and the federal health secretary, Aslam Ghori, was suspended pending an investigation into the cause of the fire and the hospital’s emergency response.
