The blaze broke out around 6:45 a.m. on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health Ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences which is one of the capital’s largest government hospitals according to the district administration. Rescue officials said the air-conditioning compressor explosion inside the nursery triggered the fire that spread rapidly in a space housing about 15 infants with at least one baby rescued alive. Islamabad Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf stated that teams of rescuers specialists and police responded swiftly and brought the fire under control while six fire engines and four ambulances took part in the operation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the deaths and directed an immediate probe his office announced. «The loss of children in such circumstances is irreparable» Sharif’s office said in a statement that also conveyed condolences to the bereaved families. Police reported that the newborns were severely burned requiring DNA testing to confirm identities before remains could be returned to relatives a step that underscores the intensity of the blaze.
The incident occurs against a backdrop in which fires in large buildings remain relatively common in Pakistan where poor enforcement of safety regulations and building codes has often been cited as a contributing factor according to a Dawn newspaper report published on the day of the fire. In June 2024 four newborns perished in a pediatric ward fire at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital after a short circuit in an air-conditioning system that publication noted in its coverage of that earlier tragedy. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal told Geo News that the presence of oxygen supplies in the PIMS nursery intensified the flames following the compressor blast.
Data compiled by The Express Tribune showed that more than 270 newborns have died in recent years across Punjab hospital nurseries from causes that include fires sparked by electrical short circuits and delays in oxygen delivery. The newspaper reported that only around 270 of the province’s 4 572 hospitals maintain functional nurseries a shortfall that frequently forces transfers and heightens risks for critically ill infants. Hospital fires are not uncommon in government facilities that often rely on outdated electrical systems CNN noted in its coverage of the Islamabad event.
An inquiry committee has been formed to establish the precise cause and any regulatory lapses the district administration said. Witnesses told Reuters that the affected ward was cordoned off with ambulances positioned outside as cooling operations continued at the site. Officials indicated that the investigation will examine compliance with fire safety standards across similar medical facilities in the capital.
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