Pakistan Hospital Fire Claims Lives of 14 Newborn Babies

At least 14 newborn babies have died after a fire swept through the maternity ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, in one of the country’s most serious recent hospital tragedies. The blaze broke out at approximately 6:45am on Wednesday on the third floor of the hospital’s Mother and Child Health Unit, where premature and critically ill infants were receiving care. Hospital officials said 15 babies were inside the affected ward when the fire began. Only one infant was rescued alive.

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed. Initial reports suggest that an air conditioning unit may have malfunctioned or exploded, but investigators are examining the equipment, electrical systems and safety procedures in the ward. Authorities have not ruled out other possible causes. Hospital officials said the fire spread quickly through the unit, filling the ward with smoke and making it difficult for staff and emergency responders to reach the babies. The presence of oxygen equipment used to support newborns may have intensified the flames, although officials said this would form part of the formal investigation.

Medical staff and hospital workers attempted to evacuate the ward as the fire developed. Mothers who had recently given birth were forced to leave the maternity area while emergency crews worked to contain the blaze. Several people were treated for smoke inhalation and other injuries, while some survivors were transferred to intensive care for further medical attention. The deaths have caused widespread grief among families, many of whom had been waiting anxiously outside the hospital for information about their children. Relatives criticised the hospital’s emergency response and questioned whether the ward had adequate fire alarms, extinguishers, emergency exits and evacuation procedures.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an immediate investigation into the incident and directed officials to determine whether negligence or failures in hospital safety systems contributed to the deaths. He said those found responsible should be held accountable and called for a detailed report on the circumstances surrounding the fire. The tragedy has renewed concerns about conditions in Pakistan’s public hospitals, where overcrowding, ageing infrastructure, unreliable electrical systems and limited emergency resources have frequently raised safety concerns. Health workers and patient advocates have called for regular inspections of hospital buildings, improved fire response training and stricter maintenance of electrical and medical equipment.

Experts have also warned that neonatal wards require particularly strong safety measures because newborns are often unable to move without assistance and may depend on oxygen, incubators and other life support equipment. A fire in such a unit can become fatal within minutes if evacuation systems are inadequate. The incident is being described as one of the deadliest hospital fires involving newborns in Pakistan in recent years. Authorities are expected to examine whether the ward complied with national fire safety regulations and whether staff had received sufficient training to respond to emergencies.

As the investigation continues, families are demanding answers about how the fire started, why it spread so rapidly and whether more lives could have been saved. The deaths have also prompted calls for a nationwide review of safety standards in maternity wards, neonatal units and other high risk areas of public hospitals.