Fire at PIMS Hospital Nursery Leaves 14 Newborns Burned

• PIMS Nursery Fire Kills 14 Newborns as Safety Failures Come Under Scrutiny
• Fourteen newborn babies died after a fire broke out in the nursery of PIMS’ Mother and Child Healthcare Centre in Islamabad.
• A CDA report found emergency routes blocked or closed and described fire and life safety arrangements as below required standards.
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an inquiry, while the role of PIMS management is also expected to come under examination.
• Authorities will use DNA samples from the newborns and their parents to establish the victims’ identities.

Fourteen newborn babies lost their lives after a devastating fire swept through a nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on Wednesday morning, triggering questions over fire safety arrangements, emergency preparedness and possible negligence at the hospital.

According to rescue officials, the fire erupted at around 7am on the third floor of the hospital’s Mother and Child Healthcare Centre. Firefighters and ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene as emergency teams began evacuating patients from the affected area.

Six fire tenders and four ambulances participated in the operation. Rescue officials said 19 people were evacuated, including 10 women, seven children and two men. Children requiring medical attention were shifted to the intensive care unit, while firefighters eventually brought the blaze under control and carried out cooling operations.

PIMS Executive Director Professor Dr Rana Imran Sikander confirmed the deaths and said the incident would be investigated from every angle. Authorities have not yet established the final cause of the fire, although preliminary information pointed towards a possible malfunction or explosion involving an air-conditioning compressor near the nursery.

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said initial information indicated that an explosion in the nursery’s air-conditioning system may have started the fire. He said the flames spread rapidly after oxygen supplies in the ward caught fire.

The nursery suffered extensive damage in the blaze, while authorities began the process of identifying the newborn victims. Mustafa Kamal said DNA samples would be collected from the babies and their parents to establish their identities.

Questions have also emerged about the presence of hospital staff at the time of the incident. Some parents alleged that staff members were not present in the incubation area when the fire started. The claims have not yet been independently established and are expected to form part of the official investigation.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the deaths and ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the tragedy. He directed officials to determine how the fire started, examine the circumstances that led to the deaths and identify those responsible for any failures.

Mustafa Kamal said the prime minister was deeply saddened by the loss of the newborns and made clear that anyone found responsible for negligence would face action.

“If there was negligence by anyone, they will not be spared,” the health minister said.

The PIMS administration has also come under increased scrutiny following the incident. Sources said the role of Executive Director Dr Rana Imran Sikander would be examined during the inquiry, while the possibility of seeking his resignation was also reportedly under consideration. Other officials connected with the hospital administration and health authorities could also face examination as investigators determine responsibility.

Questions surrounding hospital safety intensified after a fire incident report prepared by the Capital Development Authority’s Directorate of Emergency and Disaster Management identified shortcomings during the emergency response.

According to the report, firefighters reached the hospital within approximately six minutes. However, emergency routes were found closed from the outside and obstructed at certain locations, creating difficulties during the operation.

The report also found that fire and life safety arrangements at the facility were below the required standards. Security personnel reportedly created difficulties during the initial response, while crowd management at the scene was described as inadequate.

These findings have shifted attention beyond the immediate cause of the blaze towards whether existing safety deficiencies worsened the consequences of the fire and whether appropriate emergency procedures were in place to protect newborns and other patients.

More than 14 hours after the incident, authorities had still not publicly established the definitive cause of the fire or identified those responsible for the failures surrounding the tragedy.

Inquiry committees initially formed by the Islamabad district administration and PIMS were subsequently dissolved before beginning their investigations. The inquiry committee constituted on the prime minister’s directions will now conduct the main investigation into the incident.

The inquiry is expected to examine the origin of the fire, the hospital’s fire prevention and emergency response systems, blocked evacuation routes, staff presence, security arrangements and whether negligence or violations of safety requirements contributed to the deaths.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the loss of the newborn babies and offered condolences to their families. He described the deaths as an extremely painful and irreparable tragedy and called for those responsible to be identified and dealt with in accordance with the law.

The president also called for stronger safety arrangements at hospitals, particularly in areas where newborn babies and other vulnerable patients are treated.

Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan also expressed sorrow over the tragedy and said hospitals and other public facilities must have adequate preventive measures to reduce the risk of such incidents. He extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for strength and patience for them.

Senior officials, including the Islamabad Inspector General of Police, Chief Commissioner and district administration representatives, visited PIMS following the fire and reviewed rescue and relief operations.

With the CDA report pointing to deficiencies in fire safety and emergency access, the investigation will now have to determine not only what triggered the blaze but whether institutional failures contributed to its devastating outcome and who, if anyone, should be held responsible.