- A fire broke out in the maternity ward of PIMS hospital in Islamabad, killing 14 infants.
- Eyewitnesses reported that the maternity ward door was locked, forcing people to break down doors and rescue teams to smash windows to access the fire.
- Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said CCTV footage showed a spark from the air conditioner caused the fire, which spread within a minute.
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for an investigation and sacked Health Secretary Aslam Ghori.
- Public figures and social media users expressed outrage, calling the deaths criminal negligence and a systematic failure.
- The UN children's agency UNICEF expressed deep sadness and called for an urgent review of fire safety standards.
- A report found inadequate fire and life-safety arrangements, with emergency exits and escape routes permanently locked or obstructed, and hospital security staff hindering the initial fire crew response.
- Witnesses described chaotic scenes, including intense smoke, broken glass, a slow emergency response, and guards reportedly preventing people from leaving the building.
- Pakistan has experienced repeated deadly fires linked to inadequate precautions, weak enforcement, and poor preparedness, including a 67-death fire at Gul Plaza in Karachi.
Fourteen newborns died in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, attributed to an electrical fault in an air-conditioning unit. Eyewitnesses reported that locked doors hindered rescue efforts, forcing people to break down barriers to save trapped patients.
The fire broke out in the maternity ward, where only one of the 15 infants survived. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal stated that CCTV footage showed a spark igniting the blaze, which spread rapidly. Despite the use of 26 fire extinguishers, the absence of water sprinklers exacerbated the situation.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with thick smoke and delayed emergency response. Khurram Mehmood, who lost his three-day-old daughter, lamented that rescuers took hours to arrive. Another witness recounted, “The fire spread very quickly. There were babies as young as one day old.”
In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an investigation and dismissed Health Secretary Aslam Ghori. He emphasized the need for accountability, stating, “What happened is sad, but there was no negligence when it came to the rescue operations.” The UN's UNICEF expressed deep sorrow over the incident, calling for urgent improvements in fire safety standards across health facilities.
The Islamabad district administration has formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire, as public outrage grows over the hospital's safety protocols and emergency preparedness.
“Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said CCTV showed a spark from an air conditioner caused the fire, which spread within a minute, and that 26 fire extinguishers were used but no water sprinklers were present. UNICEF called for an urgent review of fire safety standards across health facilities.”
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