Pakistani officials say that 14 newborns have died following a fire in the maternity ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad. The hospital is one of the largest government-run medical facilities in the Pakistani capital.
The fire broke out on Wednesday morning on the third floor of the hospital’s mother-and-child unit. Local officials initially attributed the incident to an electrical malfunction that caused an air-conditioning unit to catch fire. A hospital spokesperson also confirmed that the blaze originated from an air-conditioning unit.
Witnesses at the scene reported thick smoke, chaotic conditions and shattered windows at the hospital. Some witnesses also alleged that security personnel prevented patients and their relatives from leaving and that emergency response teams arrived at the scene with a delay.
Khurram Mahmood, 40, who reportedly lost his three-day-old daughter in the incident, said his wife had been admitted to the neonatal unit and that families had gathered outside the hospital waiting for assistance.
Javeria, one of the mothers who said she lost her newborn, alleged that the door to the neonatal intensive care unit was locked. Crying, she questioned officials about why the babies had been left inside and pleaded for her child to be returned.
Abdul Ghafoor, another witness, said the fire spread rapidly and that babies as young as one day old were inside the unit. According to him, thick black smoke engulfed the hospital, while several patients became trapped inside the building.
However, Islamabad’s chief commissioner gave a different account of the emergency response. He said an emergency call was placed shortly before 7 a.m., after which rescue personnel and police arrived at the scene immediately and began efforts to contain the fire.
Agence France-Presse reporters at the scene witnessed a nurse reading out the names of the deceased newborns to families gathered outside the hospital. Several patients emerged from the building with their faces covered in soot, while one man was seen carrying a newborn in his arms.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of the 14 newborns and called for a full investigation into the incident and for those responsible to be identified. The prime minister stressed that serious action would be taken against officials if negligence were established.
The incident has once again raised concerns about compliance with safety standards in large buildings and healthcare facilities across Pakistan. The country has witnessed several deadly fires in commercial buildings, factories and public facilities in recent years.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
