Islamabad hospital fire kills 14 newborns in maternity ward
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A fire in the maternity ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad killed 14 newborns on Wednesday morning. Witnesses said the ward door was closed and rescue services arrived hours late. Hospital director Rana Imran Sikander said the door was closed, not locked, to prevent baby theft.
Key Facts
- The fire broke out on the third floor of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) maternity ward on Wednesday morning.
- 15 babies were in the ward at the time of the fire; only one survived.
- Witness Khivsa Walid said she heard screams, saw smoke, grabbed a relative's newborn, and fled the building.
- Hospital executive director Rana Imran Sikander told BBC the ward door was closed, not locked, to protect babies from theft.
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an immediate investigation and suspended Federal Health Minister Aslam Ghauri.
The Fire
The fire started in an air conditioner on the third floor of the PIMS maternity ward on Wednesday morning. Witness Khivsa Walid said she heard screams, saw smoke, grabbed a relative's newborn, and fled the building. Firefighters broke windows to contain the flames, and several witnesses said people were forced to break down the ward door before rescuers arrived. Islamabad Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf said rescue services arrived immediately after the first emergency call.
Witness Accounts
Witness Al Haveria said the maternity ward door was closed and police arrived several hours later. Father Khurram Mehmood, 40, said he lost his three-day-old daughter in the fire. Witness Abdul Ghafoor said he tried to enter the building to rescue patients but could not reach the maternity ward because of thick black smoke. Hospital executive director Rana Imran Sikander told BBC the ward door was closed, not locked, to protect babies from theft, citing previous baby thefts at government hospitals.
Official Response
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences and ordered an immediate investigation into the fire. Sharif also suspended Federal Health Minister Aslam Ghauri from his post. PIMS is one of the largest hospitals in Islamabad, with 156 beds in its maternity ward. The fire follows a January blaze at a Karachi shopping mall that killed dozens, with survivors citing locked exits as a factor in the high death toll.
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Islamabad hospital fire kills 14 newborns in maternity ward
