Pakistan Probes Hospital Fire That Killed 14 Newborns
Investigators inspect Islamabad nursery where a fire killed 14 newborns; cause disputed, safety reviews ordered.
A team of investigators appointed by Pakistan's prime minister visited the hospital nursery in Islamabad on Thursday where a fast-moving fire killed 14 newborns, as grieving families and the public pressed for answers about the cause and safety lapses.
The fire broke out early Wednesday on the third-floor nursery of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, a major government facility. The blaze was contained to that floor and did not spread to the rest of the hospital. According to hospital officials, the fire moved so quickly that the two doctors, two nurses, and other staff on duty could rescue only one of the 15 babies in the nursery.
The scene at the hospital remained somber on Thursday, with restricted access to the affected area. The investigating committee, led by retired federal secretary Shahid Khan, is expected to record statements from staff, witnesses, and families. It must submit urgent recommendations to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif within 48 hours and a comprehensive report within five days.
Initial accounts from hospital and district officials blamed an exploding air-conditioning unit. However, the hospital's preliminary report suggested a blast involving a nebulizer triggered the fire, which spread rapidly due to the high oxygen concentration in the nursery. The committee has not yet reached its own conclusion and will independently determine the cause, according to the city administration.
All 14 bodies were handed over to their families overnight. The tragedy has prompted authorities to order broader reviews of fire-safety measures and firefighting equipment at hospitals across the country. In Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, the government directed the Health Department to immediately assess fire-safety systems and emergency-response facilities.
Prime Minister Sharif has already dismissed the federal health secretary, Aslam Ghauri, the ministry's top civil servant. Grieving parents are demanding to know how the fire started and whether the nursery had adequate firefighting equipment.
The United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, expressed sadness over the deaths and called for an urgent review and strengthening of fire-prevention and safety standards at health facilities.
This incident is among Pakistan's deadliest recent tragedies involving children. In June, 14 schoolchildren were killed when the roof of a tutoring center under construction collapsed in Lahore.