Hospital Nursery Fire Kills 14 Newborns
A hospital nursery fire in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad killed 14 newborns on Wednesday, officials said.
The fire reportedly started after an air conditioner exploded inside the nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
Fifteen babies were in the nursery when the fire broke out.
Hospital staff rescued one newborn, officials said.
The tragedy left grieving parents and relatives gathered outside the hospital. Some wept as they waited for information about their children.
Others demanded answers about the cause of the fire and the hospital’s fire-safety arrangements.
Fire Trapped Babies Inside Nursery
The blaze remained confined to the hospital nursery, according to officials and witnesses.
The rest of the hospital continued to operate, and authorities reported no other injuries.
Rescue workers used ladders to reach the third-floor nursery through broken windows.
Islamabad Chief Commissioner Suhail Ashraf said emergency teams eventually brought the fire under control.
Dr. Aneeza Jalil, a hospital spokesperson, said a doctor rescued one baby from the nursery.
She added that authorities had handed six babies’ bodies to their families. Officials planned to release the remaining bodies after completing the necessary procedures.
Parents Demand Answers
The deaths devastated families who had expected to take their newborn children home.
One mother, who identified herself as Mrs. Mohammad Sami, said she had given birth three days earlier.
Her baby had remained in intensive care when the fire erupted.
“I don’t know what to say or whom to blame,” she said through tears. “I have lost my child.”
The incident has raised questions about whether the nursery had sufficient firefighting equipment and emergency procedures.
Government Opens Investigation
The government has launched an investigation into the disaster.
Islamabad’s district magistrate appointed a fact-finding committee and ordered it to submit its report within 24 hours.
The committee will examine how the fire started and how quickly it spread.
Investigators will also assess whether the hospital had adequate fire-safety measures and whether emergency teams responded properly.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri to leave his position following the tragedy.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said he was traveling from Karachi to Islamabad to oversee the investigation.
Leaders Express Grief
Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the deaths and held a high-level meeting with officials from relevant agencies.
“A tragedy involving children is an irreparable loss,” the prime minister said.
President Asif Ali Zardari also offered condolences to the families.
He described the deaths as heartbreaking and called for those responsible to face justice.
Zardari also urged hospitals across the country to strengthen fire-safety systems and emergency procedures.
One of Pakistan’s Deadliest Recent Child Tragedies
The nursery fire ranks among Pakistan’s deadliest recent tragedies involving children.
In June, a separate disaster in Lahore killed 14 schoolchildren when the roof of a tutoring center under construction collapsed.
The latest deaths have renewed concerns about safety standards in facilities caring for vulnerable children.
The government investigation is expected to determine whether equipment failures, safety shortcomings or other factors contributed to the deadly hospital nursery fire.
