15 Infants Killed in Islamabad Hospital Fire

At least 15 infants were killed when a fire broke out at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a state-run hospital in Islamabad, according to multiple reports. The blaze started around 7 a.m. on the third floor of the hospital’s mother and child health ward due to an air conditioning fault, as reported by local broadcaster Geo TV. There were 16 newborns in the ward when the fire broke out, with one rescued.

The fire is among the deadliest hospital fires in recent years in Pakistan, where government healthcare facilities are often under-resourced and overburdened. The nursery at PIMS housed 15 newborns when the fire began, according to hospital officials. Rescue officials reported that the fire started around 6:45 a.m., likely due to an explosion in the compressor of an air-conditioning unit inside the nursery, which is part of the gynecology ward. Firefighters quickly responded and extinguished the blaze, with rescue teams conducting cooling operations at the site.

The government has opened an investigation into the incident, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordering Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri to be removed from office. Television footage showed rescue workers using ladders to reach the third-floor nursery through broken windows. Grieving parents and relatives gathered at the hospital, some weeping while others demanded answers about how the fire began and whether the nursery had adequate firefighting equipment.

The ward was cordoned off and ambulances were seen outside the hospital building, according to a Reuters witness. PIMS, centrally located in Islamabad, is one of the main public hospitals in the city. The fire has been extinguished, and firefighters are carrying out cooling operations at the site.

The incident highlights ongoing issues with Pakistan's healthcare system, which has faced frequent criticism for mismanagement and inadequate resources. Watchdogs have repeatedly pointed to these challenges, emphasizing the need for better infrastructure and management in state-run facilities. The Islamabad district magistrate appointed a fact-finding committee to investigate the cause of the fire, its spread, adequate fire-safety measures, and evaluate the emergency response within 24 hours.