ISLAMABAD: Fourteen infants were killed after a devastating fire broke out in the gynaecology ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad early Wednesday, prompting a high-level investigation and renewed questions over fire safety and emergency preparedness at the country’s major public hospitals.
The fire erupted on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital ward, according to the Islamabad administration. Rescue teams were dispatched to the hospital as smoke spread through the affected area.
PIMS spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil said 15 babies were present in the ward when the fire broke out and that one infant was rescued by a doctor.
Fire Erupted in Minutes
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said preliminary CCTV footage showed a spark coming from an air-conditioning unit at around 6:38am, followed approximately a minute later by a fireball that landed on the ward floor.
According to the minister, four people, including two doctors and two nurses, were seen rushing for assistance before the room was engulfed in flames.
Kamal said preliminary findings indicated that many of the infants were connected to oxygen supplies and that the oxygen may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. He stressed, however, that the exact cause and circumstances would be established through a formal investigation.
The minister described the incident as “heart-wrenching” and vowed that anyone found responsible for negligence would face accountability.
“No one responsible for negligence, including me, will be spared,” Kamal said.
Families Raise Questions Over Rescue Response
The tragedy has been accompanied by serious allegations from relatives and eyewitnesses regarding the hospital’s emergency response.
Several people who were present at the hospital said they were forced to break windows to gain access to the affected area. Witnesses also alleged that some doors were locked during the emergency and questioned how quickly rescue personnel reached the ward.
Some witnesses told reporters that they waited for assistance while smoke filled the building.
One bereaved father, Khurram Mehmood, said his three-day-old daughter died in the fire. He claimed that the blaze began around 6am while rescue and emergency personnel arrived several hours later.
Another mother, identified as Jaweria, called for justice after losing her newborn child.
Eyewitness Abdul Ghafoor said thick black smoke had trapped people inside and that some individuals broke windows in an attempt to help those affected.
These accounts are among the issues expected to be examined by the inquiry committees investigating the incident.
Government Disputes Delay in Rescue Operation
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry rejected claims that rescue teams were late in reaching PIMS.
According to Chaudhry, emergency responders arrived within approximately six minutes of receiving the call. The Capital Development Authority separately said its fire and rescue teams reached the hospital within seven minutes after receiving information at 6:54am.
The minister said 19 people, including seven children, 10 mothers and two men, were rescued from the affected area.
Chaudhry maintained that there appeared to be no negligence on the part of the rescue services, while acknowledging that questions regarding fire-safety arrangements inside the hospital would have to be addressed by the hospital administration and the inquiry committee.
The conflicting accounts over the timing and effectiveness of the emergency response are expected to form an important part of the investigation.
Health Secretary Suspended
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and ordered a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the premier expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the infants and directed authorities to identify those responsible and take strict action where negligence was established.
Federal Health Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri was subsequently suspended and removed from his position following the prime minister’s directives.
Captain (retired) Muhammad Mahmood, a BS-21 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, was appointed as health secretary for three months or until a regular appointment is made.
A high-level inquiry committee headed by former interior secretary Shahid Khan has been tasked with investigating the tragedy.
A separate fact-finding committee has also been formed at the Islamabad district level to determine the cause of the fire and assess the hospital’s fire-safety arrangements and emergency response.
Investigation to Examine Fire Safety and Hospital Procedures
The inquiry committees have been directed to determine the precise cause of the fire, assess whether adequate and functional fire-safety systems were available, and examine the response of hospital staff and emergency services.
Investigators are also expected to examine CCTV footage, the availability of fire equipment, the presence of medical staff, the circumstances surrounding access to the ward and the condition of the building.
The health minister said PIMS had 26 fire extinguishers in the building and claimed the hospital had responded to previous fire-safety notices.
However, questions remain over whether existing safety measures were adequate for a neonatal ward where infants dependent on medical equipment were being treated.
Questions Over Locked Ward Doors
The issue of access to the ward has also come under scrutiny.
Kamal said access to the neonatal area was restricted and guarded because of previous incidents involving attempts to steal newborn babies from hospitals.
He acknowledged that such security arrangements were unusual but said they had been introduced because of concerns over infant security.
The inquiry is expected to establish whether the ward’s access arrangements affected evacuation and rescue efforts during the fire.
PIMS Faces Renewed Safety Questions
Established in 1985, PIMS is Islamabad’s largest public-sector hospital and includes several hospitals and teaching institutions.
The fire has renewed concerns about safety standards at major public healthcare facilities, particularly those caring for newborns and critically ill patients.
Opposition and civil society voices have called for accountability and a transparent investigation, with questions raised about the enforcement of fire-safety regulations and the hospital’s preparedness for emergencies.
PPP leader Nayyar Hussain Bokhari described the incident as more than ordinary negligence and called for accountability at the hospital’s senior administrative level.
Senator Sherry Rehman also questioned the management of PIMS and called for answers over the hospital’s safety arrangements.
Leaders Express Grief
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed condolences to the bereaved families and called for those responsible to be identified and dealt with according to law.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar described the deaths as an unimaginable loss for the families and said the safety of children must remain a priority.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called for an impartial investigation and demanded accountability if negligence was established.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif also expressed grief over the deaths and urged the government to take strict action against those found responsible.
The Pakistan Medical Association said the tragedy raised serious concerns over administrative failures, regulatory oversight and the enforcement of safety standards at healthcare facilities.
Inquiry Expected to Determine Responsibility
The government has pledged that the investigation will examine the incident from its root causes to the response of hospital authorities and emergency services.
With two separate investigative processes underway, the key questions will include how the fire started, why it spread so rapidly, whether the neonatal ward had adequate fire protection, how evacuation procedures were implemented and whether any institutional negligence contributed to the deaths.
For the families who lost their newborn children, however, the investigation comes after an irreversible tragedy.
The government has promised accountability and measures to prevent a recurrence. The findings of the inquiries will determine whether those promises translate into concrete action and whether responsibility is fixed for one of the most devastating hospital fires in Islamabad in recent years.