At least 14 newborns died after a fire broke out in the nursery of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on Wednesday, according to Reuters, citing local media and rescue sources.
The fire broke out at around 7 a.m. local time on the third floor of the hospital’s mother and child health ward, Reuters reported. Local media said the blaze may have been caused by a fault involving an air-conditioning system, although the cause had not been officially established.
Reports differed over the number of newborns who died. Reuters said local media initially reported that 15 infants had been killed, while other reports put the confirmed death toll at 14. One of the 16 newborns reportedly in the ward survived.
Rescue teams extinguished the fire and began cooling operations in the affected ward. A doctor reportedly rescued one infant during the emergency response.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an immediate investigation and called for action against those found responsible, according to Pakistani media reports.
The precise cause of the fire and whether any negligence contributed to the deaths remain unclear. Reports linking the blaze to an air-conditioning fault or compressor explosion are preliminary and have not been established as the official cause.
The incident has raised questions about fire safety at PIMS, a major government-run hospital in Islamabad. Reuters reported that parents at the scene raised concerns about fire-safety measures, including access to the ward during the emergency.
Authorities were continuing to assess the affected ward and investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire.
