Blurb: A nursery fire at Islamabad’s main public hospital killed newborns, triggering grief, anger and questions over safety standards and emergency preparedness.
Islamabad
At least 14 infants were killed in a devastating fire at a state-run hospital in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Wednesday, with officials saying the blaze began after a blast in an air conditioner inside the nursery ward.
The fire erupted around 7 am local time on the third floor of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences’ mother and child health ward. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said the blast triggered the fire and that the presence of large amounts of oxygen in the ward helped the flames spread rapidly.
There were 16 newborns inside the ward when the fire broke out, with one infant reportedly rescued. Television footage showed the ward badly gutted, with blackened walls, damaged equipment and smoke rising from the building. The ward was later sealed off.
Parents gathered outside in anguish, with some accusing the hospital of inadequate staffing and poor fire safety. One mother, Javeria, said there had been no doctor or nurse in the ward and that families were not allowed to see the bodies of their children after they were removed.
Another parent, Mudasir, alleged the building lacked fire safety measures and proper emergency exits, saying only one door was open for families visiting their children.
Kamal rejected claims that doctors and staff were absent when the fire began. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an investigation and suspended the health secretary over the tragedy.
The incident has renewed concerns over safety standards at Pakistan’s under-resourced public hospitals.