PIMS Hospital fire in Islamabad kills 14 newborns

PIMS hospital fire Islamabad nursery fire neonatal tragedy hospital safety standards Pakistan healthcare

A devastating fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad killed at least 14 newborn babies in the hospital's maternity and neonatal ward on Wednesday morning. The blaze, which broke out around 6:30–7:00 a.m., was reportedly caused by an explosion in an air conditioning unit or a technical fault involving a nebulizer. The fire spread rapidly through the third-floor nursery, intensified by high concentrations of medical oxygen near the incubators.

Of the 15 infants present in the nursery at the time, only one was successfully rescued by medical staff. The tragedy has sparked national outrage and intense scrutiny of hospital safety standards in Pakistan. In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a five-member inquiry committee, led by retired federal secretary Shahid Khan, to investigate the cause and determine if negligence occurred. The committee is expected to provide urgent recommendations within 48 hours.

Following the incident, the federal government suspended Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri. Authorities are also reviewing fire-safety protocols and emergency-response facilities across hospitals in the Punjab province to prevent similar occurrences.

Entities

Aneeza Jalil · Aslam Ghauri · Aslam Ghouri · Imran Sikandar · Islamabad · Mustafa Kamal · Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences · Shahid Khan · Shehbaz Sharif · Sohail Ashraf

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 22 SOURCES] Hospital authorities rescued one child. tob.news · www.aajtak.in · upkiran.org
[● 2 SOURCES] The fire was brought under control and children were moved to the intensive care unit. tob.news
[● 25 SOURCES] The fire was likely triggered by an air conditioning compressor explosion in the nursery. tob.news · upkiran.org · www.aajtak.in · www.calabriainchieste.it · www.mediapress24.it
[● 8 SOURCES] An inquiry committee led by the additional deputy commissioner general has been formed to investigate. tob.news · www.aajtak.in
[● 9 SOURCES] At least 14 babies died in the incident. tob.news · www.mediapress24.it · www.aajtak.in · offthepress.com · www.ultimenotizieflash.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The fire, which started at 7 a.m., appeared to be caused by a short circuit. tob.news
[● 5 SOURCES] At least 13 children, primarily newborns, died in the fire.
[● 7 SOURCES] An emergency fire call was made just before 7 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
[● 30 SOURCES] The fire was likely triggered by an air conditioning compressor explosion inside the nursery. www.calabriainchieste.it · www.mediapress24.it · upkiran.org · offthepress.com · k2times.com · +13 more
[● 33 SOURCES] At least 14 children died in the fire. tob.news · www.mediapress24.it · offthepress.com · www.calabriainchieste.it · n1info.ba · +23 more
[● 9 SOURCES] The fire erupted at 7 a.m. and appeared to be caused by a short circuit. tob.news · www.algoafm.co.za · frenteacano.com.ar · akhbarekhyber.com.pk · n1info.ba · +4 more
[● 15 SOURCES] At least 13 children, mostly newborns, died in the fire. www.mediapress24.it · www.calabriainchieste.it · k2times.com · kodex.me · navbharatlive.com · +3 more