At least 14 newborn children have been killed after a fire broke out in the nursery of a government-run hospital in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, prompting an immediate investigation and renewed scrutiny of fire safety standards in public buildings.
The fire erupted early on Wednesday at the Mother and Child Centre of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, commonly known as PIMS, one of Islamabad’s largest public hospitals. Hospital officials said at least 15 newborns were inside the nursery when the blaze broke out on the third floor of the centre.
At least one baby was rescued, while Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal confirmed that 14 newborns had died. Rescue officials said the fire began at about 6:45 a.m. after the compressor of an air-conditioning unit exploded inside the nursery in the gynaecology ward.
Firefighters were dispatched to the hospital and worked to extinguish the blaze, while rescue teams began cooling operations at the site after the fire was brought under control. Islamabad Chief Commissioner Suhail Ashraf later confirmed that the fire had been extinguished and said authorities were coordinating with the families of the victims.
The deaths triggered shock and grief across Pakistan, with parents and relatives gathering at the hospital as authorities worked to manage the aftermath of the tragedy. Some family members were seen weeping, while others demanded answers about how the fire began and questioned whether adequate firefighting equipment and emergency procedures had been in place inside the nursery.
Within hours of the incident, the Islamabad district magistrate ordered the formation of a multi agency fact-finding committee to investigate the disaster. According to a government notification, the committee has been directed to submit its findings within 24 hours. The investigation will examine the cause of the fire, how it spread, whether sufficient fire-safety measures were in place and how emergency responders handled the incident.
Officials Offer Condolences
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the deaths and ordered an immediate investigation. “A tragedy involving children is an irreparable loss,” Sharif said. He said that those found responsible would face the “strictest action.”
President Asif Ali Zardari also offered condolences to the families of the victims, describing the deaths as “heartbreaking and an irreparable loss.” Zardari called for those responsible to be identified and dealt with under the law.
He also urged hospitals to strengthen fire-safety measures and emergency procedures, particularly in wards caring for newborns and other vulnerable patients. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also expressed sorrow over the incident as senior government officials moved to oversee the emergency response and investigation.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said he was travelling from Karachi to Islamabad to personally monitor developments. He said that the Director-General of health and the federal Health Secretary were already present at PIMS, where officials were working with hospital authorities and emergency services.
According to Kamal, the immediate priority was to support the grieving families and ensure that the bodies of the children were returned to their parents.
The tragedy has placed renewed attention on safety standards in Pakistan, where deadly building fires have occurred repeatedly and concerns have often been raised about weak enforcement of safety regulations and building codes. Public hospitals, which provide subsidised treatment to millions of Pakistanis, have also faced longstanding challenges related to funding, overcrowding and management.
PIMS is one of the country’s most important public medical facilities and serves patients from Islamabad and surrounding areas. The hospital has also been used for several high-profile medical examinations, including one involving imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Wednesday’s fire is among the deadliest hospital-related fire incidents reported in Pakistan and is likely to intensify calls for stronger safety inspections across medical facilities. The disaster also follows other major fires in the country. In January, at least 65 people were killed when a massive blaze swept through a crowded shopping complex in the southern port city of Karachi.
Such incidents have repeatedly raised questions about whether safety regulations are being properly implemented and whether public and private buildings are adequately equipped to respond to emergencies.
As investigations begin, the Pakistani government faces growing pressure to determine exactly what happened and whether the deaths could have been prevented. Officials have promised accountability, while the tragedy has renewed calls for hospitals and other public institutions to strengthen fire prevention systems and emergency preparedness.
The findings of the government-ordered investigation are expected to provide the first official account of the circumstances surrounding one of Pakistan’s deadliest hospital fires, as authorities attempt to answer the questions raised by grieving families and a nation left shocked by the loss of 14 newborn lives.
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