Fire at PIMS Nursery leaves 15 newborns dead

ISLAMABAD-- A fire broke out in the nursery of the gynaecology ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on Wednesday morning, killing 15 newborn babies, according to hospital and rescue officials.

Rescue sources said the fire erupted at around 6:45am after an air-conditioning compressor reportedly exploded. The blaze was extinguished, while cooling operations remained under way.

Hospital authorities said 16 babies were in the nursery when the fire broke out. A female doctor managed to rescue one child, while the remaining 15 died.

The Islamabad district administration said the fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health (MCH) Ward. Rescue teams reached the hospital after receiving the alert, with six fire engines and four ambulances taking part in the operation.

Officials said 14 of the babies were completely burnt.

The administration has constituted an eight-member inquiry committee, headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner-General, to determine the cause of the fire and establish responsibility.

The committee includes the Director General of Capital Emergency Services, the SP City, the Assistant Commissioner I-9 and a senior official of the Capital Development Authority (CDA). Officers from the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) and PIMS have also been included.

The committee has been directed to submit its findings within 24 hours.

Parents of the victims have alleged that no doctor or other staff member was present inside the nursery when the fire broke out.

One bereaved parent claimed that families were simply informed that their children had died and questioned whether the remains had been correctly identified.

Another parent alleged that firefighters and ambulances arrived about 90 minutes after the fire started, while families tried to rescue their children themselves.

The parents have demanded DNA testing to establish the identities of the victims and strict action against the hospital administration.

They also alleged that the NICU door was locked and claimed that rescue teams arrived two hours after the incident, while police reached the hospital four hours later. These allegations have not yet been independently verified.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the deaths and ordered an immediate investigation into the fire.

He said the loss of newborn lives in such circumstances was unbearable and directed the authorities to establish the causes of the incident, identify those responsible and take strict action against anyone found negligent.

“The tragedy has deeply saddened me,” the prime minister said, adding that he shared the grief of the bereaved parents.

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said 14 deaths had been confirmed and that the Director General of Health and the hospital secretary were at PIMS. He said officials were in contact with the affected families.

Kamal, who said he was travelling from Karachi to Islamabad, vowed action if the tragedy was found to have resulted from negligence.

He said that if he was found responsible in any way, he too would face action.

Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, who visited PIMS, said the fire was caused by a short circuit.

He said the blaze spread rapidly because of a gas line and plastic equipment, while oxygen supplies also contributed to its spread. Most of the babies, he said, died from suffocation.

Chaudhry said doctors, nurses and other staff members were present at the time and survived the incident.

He added that any negligence would be identified through the investigation and those responsible would be held accountable.