A devastating fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad has left at least 15 newborns dead, turning what should have been a place of care into the scene of one of the country’s most heartbreaking hospital tragedies in recent years.
The fire broke out early Wednesday morning in the nursery of the Mother and Child Health ward on the hospital’s third floor. Reports say around 15 to 16 newborns were inside at the time, with only one baby being rescued. While officials have confirmed 14 deaths in some statements, local reports have put the toll at 15 as authorities continue to establish the exact circumstances.
How Did The Fire Start?
The exact cause of the fire is still being investigated, but initial reports point towards an air-conditioning unit. Rescue sources said an AC compressor exploded inside the nursery at around 6:45am, while the health minister also described an explosion in an air-conditioning unit as the apparent trigger.
What made the situation far more dangerous was the presence of oxygen equipment in the ward. According to officials, the fire spread rapidly after the initial blast, with oxygen helping intensify the flames. Other officials have also mentioned gas lines and plastic equipment inside the ward as factors that may have contributed to how quickly the fire spread.
The conditions inside the nursery are now also under scrutiny. Rescue sources and some parents alleged that doctors, nurses or other ward staff were not present inside the incubation area when the fire began. PIMS Executive Director Rana Imran Sikandar, however, has disputed this, saying doctors, nurses and other staff were present in the hospital and that a doctor managed to rescue one newborn. The conflicting accounts are among the issues the investigation will have to establish.
There are also questions about the hospital’s fire-safety arrangements. Rescue sources reportedly raised concerns about the availability of firefighting equipment and emergency evacuation routes, while PIMS management has maintained that the hospital had a satisfactory fire-safety system. These claims have not yet been conclusively established.
Six fire engines and four ambulances were deployed after the alarm was raised, with emergency teams reaching the hospital within minutes. The fire was brought under control and the affected area was sealed as authorities began examining the scene.
PM Shehbaz Orders Immediate Investigation
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an immediate investigation into the tragedy and called for those responsible to be identified and dealt with strictly if negligence or wrongdoing is established.
Calling the deaths an irreparable loss, the prime minister directed authorities to examine what led to the fire and determine how the tragedy unfolded. President Asif Ali Zardari has also called for those responsible to be held accountable and stressed the need for effective fire-safety and emergency arrangements in hospitals, particularly in areas caring for newborns.
An eight-member fact-finding committee has been formed by the Islamabad administration. It includes officials from the district administration, CDA, Islamabad Police, IESCO, PIMS and Capital Emergency Services. The committee has been tasked with determining the cause of the fire, examining the hospital’s safety arrangements and reviewing how the rescue operation was handled. It has been directed to submit its findings within 24 hours.
For the families who arrived at PIMS expecting to see their newborns, the investigation will offer little comfort against a loss that cannot be undone. Parents gathered outside the hospital in grief and demanded answers, while officials promised that the circumstances surrounding the deaths would be investigated.
The questions now go beyond what sparked the fire. Authorities will have to establish whether the nursery had adequate safety measures, whether staff were where they needed to be, whether emergency systems worked as they should and whether anything could have been done to prevent the loss of so many newborn lives.
Those answers matter because this was not simply a fire in a hospital. It was a disaster involving babies who were among the most vulnerable people inside it.
Sources: Geo News, BBC, Tribune, Reuters, Associated Press of Pakistan