Islamabad [Pakistan], August 26 (ANI): In a shocking manifestation of chronic administrative failure and severe safety lapses, fourteen infants were killed early on Wednesday after a devastating fire engulfed the gynaecology ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, local media outlet Dawn reported.
The horrific incident unfolded on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital unit within the federal capital's premier public health facility, exposing the dilapidated infrastructure and systemic neglect typical of Pakistani public institutions.
Television broadcast footage depicted panic-stricken emergency responders resorting to ladders and scaling through shattered windows to gain entry into the smoke-filled, burning facility.
According to details provided by the local administration, six fire engines and four ambulances were deployed to combat the blaze.
Authorities stated that "the fire was immediately brought under control and the children were immediately shifted to the intensive care unit", further confirming that 14 infants "were completely burnt". An inquiry panel led by the additional deputy commissioner general has been formed to investigate the tragedy.
Highlighting the sheer scale of the vulnerability of newborn babies inside the state-run hospital, PIMS Spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil told Dawn that 15 babies were in the ward. "At least one baby was saved by a doctor," she revealed.
Exposing the sheer hazard inside the nursery, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal revealed to Geo News that the newborns were trapped in incubators or dependent on oxygen supply when the disaster struck at 6:45 AM due to a "blast in the air conditioner" inside the ward.
He confirmed that the explosion triggered a rapid inferno that fed upon the highly combustible oxygen cylinders present in the room, resulting in the tragic deaths of the 14 infants.
Further illustrating the gross negligence of the hospital authorities, a victim's relative, Malik Israr, whose niece was admitted to the ward, told Dawn that the hospital management had housed the vulnerable neonatal unit inside a dilapidated wing where active structural renovation and repair work was ongoing.
The eyewitness detailed the chaotic and harrowing evacuation, telling Dawn, "After the fire erupted, they told patients to vacate the building. Women who had just given birth had to rush down the stairs from the second floor."
Established in 1985, PIMS stands as the largest public medical centre in Islamabad.
However, catastrophic blazes in major infrastructure remain a persistent menace across Pakistan, driven by notoriously lax safety codes, weak enforcement mechanisms, and compromised building regulations.
In the wake of widespread outrage, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities to examine the factors behind the catastrophe and identify those responsible, remarking that "such a situation that involves children is unbearable".
Echoing the public shock, President Asif Ali Zardari termed the deaths "heartbreaking and an irreparable loss", stressing that "responsibility for the incident should be determined and action should be taken in accordance with the law".
He added that effective safety and emergency measures must be mandated across hospitals.
Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani asserted that "any negligence in safety measures is unacceptable", calling for practical measures to prevent such recurrent administrative failures.
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq stated he was "heartbroken" and shared in the grief of the families.
Issuing a damning indictment of Pakistan's healthcare apparatus, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) declared that "administrative failure and regulatory oversight lapses have turned these institutions into danger zones".
The medical body demanded strict criminal and administrative consequences against negligent officials so that "systemic failure serves as a decisive warning", alongside immediate structural reforms and public accountability of Pakistan's health regulatory authorities. (ANI)
14 newborns killed in fire at Islamabad Hospital's gynaecology ward in Pakistan
