Courtesy: Geo News
Video: YouTube
Fire dept flags inadequate fire safety, life protection arrangements; eyewitnesses say rescue arrived late
- Nursery housed 15 newborns at time of incident: officials.
- Inquiry committee formed to determine cause of fire.
- Fire started after an AC compressor exploded: sources.
ISLAMABAD: Fourteen infants died after a fire broke out in the gynaecology ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), officials said on Wednesday.
According to Pims officials, the nursery housed 15 newborns at the time of the incident, of whom only one was rescued.
Rescue sources said the fire started at 6:45am after an air-conditioner compressor exploded inside the nursery at the hospital situated in the federal capital.
According to the district administration, 14 children were completely burnt in the fire that broke out on the third floor of the MCH ward.
Rescue teams reached the site immediately after receiving information, the district administration said, adding that six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances took part in the rescue operations.
However, eyewitnesses told Geo News that the fire brigade and rescue teams arrived a little over half an hour later and that when the incident took place, the staff scrambled and told people to evacuate.
“We rescued ourselves and our patients,” said one eyewitness, who was an old lady, while another man said that the hospital staff did not use fire extinguishing equipment to put out the blaze.
Bodies handed over to families
State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry said that the rescue team reached the hospital within six minutes of receiving the fire alert.
Speaking to the media in the federal capital, the minister said that all administrative officers were present at the hospital immediately after the rescue operation.
The bodies of 14 children had been handed over to their families, he added.
According to Chaudhry, the initial rescue operation has been completed and its report sent to the prime minister and interior minister.
He said that PM Shehbaz had formed an inquiry team to investigate the incident. “If there was any negligence, it will emerge in the inquiry.”
CCTV footage and all other evidence related to the incident had been secured, he said, adding that the inquiry would also determine how many doctors and staff members were present when the incident occurred.
Probe committee
An inquiry committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the additional deputy commissioner to investigate the incident.
The committee would determine the cause of the fire and ascertain how the incident occurred, the district administration said.
Samiullah, father of a newborn victim, is consoled following a deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) hospital in Islamabad, August 26, 2026. — Reuters
The MCH ward was sealed after the incident, while parents alleged that staff were not present in the incubation centre when the fire broke out.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an immediate investigation and called for strict action against those found responsible for the tragedy.
Expressed grief over the deaths, the prime minister said that such a situation involving children was “irreparable”.
PM Shehbaz directed authorities to conduct a detailed review of the factors behind the incident and determine responsibility.
Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, the premier said that he shared “the grief of the parents”.
PM Shehbaz later chaired a high-level meeting over the Pims nursery fire, expressing strong displeasure with relevant officials.
During the meeting, the prime minister ordered the immediate suspension of Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghori from his post.
PM Shehbaz constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the fire, with former secretary of interior Shahid Khan appointed its chairman, according to a statement issued by the PM Office.
‘Fire spread quickly’
Speaking to Geo News, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that the death of 14 children has been confirmed so far in the fire.
According to the minister, the director general of health and the hospital secretary were present at the hospital.
“I am in Karachi and travelling to Islamabad”, he said, adding that relevant authorities were in contact with the parents.
“The fire spread very quickly, and the hospital’s electricity also went out immediately with the explosion,” Kamal said.
According to the health minister, Pims executive director was present at the site and remained in continuous contact with him.
Family members and police officers stand outside a mortuary following a deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) hospital in Islamabad, August 26, 2026. — Reuters
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that the fire was caused by a short circuit, adding that most children died from asphyxiation.
According to Chaudhry, doctors, nurses and other staff were present during the incident and remained safe.
He said that the fire spread because of gas lines and plastic instruments inside the hospital, adding that oxygen supply also contributed to the spread of the fire.
‘Inadequate fire safety arrangements’
Rescue sources described fire safety arrangements at the medical facility as extremely inadequate.
According to rescue sources, there was no water at the fire point, while couplings were missing from the fire hose.
The sources further said that emergency evacuation routes had been locked, raising concerns over the hospital’s preparedness for emergencies.
Rescue sources said no doctors, ward boys or other staff were present in the incubation centre when the incident occurred.
A CDA Fire Brigade Department report identified inadequate fire safety and life protection arrangements at the hospital.
The report — available with Geo News — said the fire brigade received information about the fire at 6:55pm and its first vehicle reached Pims within six minutes.
According to the report, the hospital’s fire prevention arrangements did not meet prescribed safety requirements.
It said that emergency exit routes were found permanently closed from the outside, while obstacles were also present along safe emergency evacuation routes.
The report further stated that the Pims security staff obstructed the fire brigade personnel during their initial response to the incident.
It also found that arrangements for effectively managing the crowd at the scene were inadequate.
Who was there in the NICU?
Pims Executive Director Rana Imran Sikandar said that two doctors, four nurses and other staff were present in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) when the fire occurred.
Speaking to the media, Sikandar said that one doctor managed to save a newborn during the incident.
He said hospital entry had previously been restricted because of incidents involving child theft in the past.
According to the Pims executive director, the hospital had a satisfactory fire safety system in place.
He added that 24 oxygen cylinders were present at the hospital and the rescue team faced no obstruction during its operations.
Sikandar vowed that action would be taken if anyone was found responsible for the incident.
Condolences pour in
President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed deep grief over the tragic incident and conveyed his profound sympathies to the bereaved families, describing the tragic loss of innocent lives as heartbreaking and an irreparable tragedy.
Calling the deaths of newborns a deeply painful and irreparable loss, President Zardari said that those responsible for the incident must be identified and held accountable according to the law.
Political leaders expressed grief over the fire. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragic incident and expressed solidarity with the parents in their grief.
He prayed for strength and patience for the bereaved parents to bear the “irreparable loss”.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi described the incident as an “extremely heartbreaking and tragic event”, saying all sympathies were with the grieving families.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also expressed condolences over the loss of lives, describing news of the children’s deaths as “sad and heart-wrenching”.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the deaths of innocent children were “extremely painful and distressing”.
She directed that the presence and functionality of firefighting equipment be ensured in all hospitals.
The British High Commission described the incident as “heartbreaking”, adding that its sympathies were with the children’s parents during the difficult time.
Pims report reveals cause behind deadly fire that killed 14 infants
Initial findings link deaths to oxygen ignition, smoke exposure and severe burns inside nursery
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) administration has prepared an initial report into the fatal fire at its gynaecology ward, which resulted in the deaths of 14 newborns.
According to the initial report, the incident occurred in the NICU, where the nebuliser indicating the quantity of oxygen alongside an incubator exploded.
The oxygen subsequently caught fire, producing smoke that travelled through pipes and entered the infants’ breathing systems.
The report said the children died after the oxygen supply was cut off and due to burns sustained in the fire. It added that the fire was initially small but spread rapidly.
The report also stated that video footage showed a flame emerging from an air conditioner.
According to Pims officials, 15 newborns were present in the nursery when the incident occurred, of whom only one was rescued, while 14 others lost their lives.
Rescue teams reached the site after receiving information, while six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances participated in the rescue operation, according to the district administration.
However, eyewitnesses told Geo News that the fire brigade and rescue teams arrived a little over half an hour after the incident. They said hospital staff scrambled after the fire broke out and instructed people to evacuate the area.
Following the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the immediate suspension of Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghori from his post.
PM Shehbaz constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the fire, with former secretary of interior Shahid Khan appointed its chairman, according to a statement issued by the PM Office.