Fourteen Infants Killed in Pakistan Hospital Fire

Fourteen infants died in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad. The blaze broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health Ward. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the death toll and called for an investigation to take the strictest possible action against those responsible. As a result of the tragedy, the Prime Minister fired Health Minister Aslam Ghori.

Official reports from the Islamabad Office of the Deputy Commissioner attributed the fire to a faulty air conditioner. Deputy Minister of the Interior Talal Chaudhry stated that nineteen people, including seven children, were rescued and denied allegations of negligence, claiming rescue teams arrived within six minutes. However, the Islamabad Chief Commissioner noted the emergency call was made just before 7 a.m.

Witnesses and journalists described a more chaotic scene. Some reports indicate that the neonatal intensive care unit and other gates were locked, forcing rescuers and civilians to break windows and doors to reach victims. Some witnesses alleged that hospital security prevented people from leaving the building and that emergency services were slow to respond. Following the operation, reports emerged that the bodies were quickly handed over to families and that the ward was sealed off by police to prevent reporters from entering the scene.