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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [INTERNATIONAL]

2 clusters · 364 sources · 2 days · First seen 3 days ago · Last updated about 20 hours ago

PIMS hospital fire and subsequent safety audits

Overview

A fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad killed at least 14 newborns in a maternity ward nursery. The blaze, which occurred on a third-floor ward around 7:00 a.m. local time, may have been caused by a technical failure involving an air conditioning unit or a nebulizer, with high oxygen concentrations potentially accelerating the spread. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal indicated the fire was triggered by an explosion in an air conditioning unit; of the 15 babies in the ward at the time, only one was successfully rescued.

In the aftermath, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an investigation, leading to the establishment of an inquiry committee led by retired federal secretary Shahid Khan and the suspension of Health Secretary Aslam Ghouri. The committee has been tasked with determining if adequate safety protocols were in place and is expected to deliver a report within 24 hours. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has pledged accountability, stating that anyone found negligent will be held responsible.

Investigations by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have since identified critical safety failures, noting that emergency exits and escape routes were found to be “permanently locked or obstructed.” The CDA report also highlighted that fire and life-safety arrangements did not meet standard requirements, suggesting that security staff may have hindered the initial response of fire crews despite hospital officials’ claims that exits were operational.

The tragedy prompted regional authorities in Punjab and Sindh to mandate urgent fire safety audits. In Punjab, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed reviews of emergency management and equipment across all government medical centers.

Entities

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences · Islamabad · Shehbaz Sharif · Mustafa Kamal · Pakistan

Claims

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

[● 7 SOURCES] 14 newborn babies died in the fire. www.diariodelsur.com.co · www.extranoticias.cl · www.promar.tv · www.arabnews.pk · www.whec.com · +2 more
[● 4 SOURCES] A high-powered inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the PIMS fire. eawaz.com · www.extranoticias.cl · www.promar.tv · www.whec.com
[● 4 SOURCES] Only one baby was successfully rescued from the nursery. www.extranoticias.cl · www.promar.tv · www.arabnews.pk · www.whec.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The fire was caused by an explosion in an air conditioning unit. www.extranoticias.cl · www.promar.tv · www.whec.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The presence of medical oxygen in the room helped the fire spread rapidly. www.extranoticias.cl · www.promar.tv · eawaz.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal offered himself for accountability regarding the PIMS fire. eawaz.com · en.dailypakistan.com.pk
[○ 1 SOURCE] Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz ordered an immediate fire safety audit of all government hospitals in the province. dailykhabrain.com.pk
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Karachi Municipal Corporation ordered all medical institutions in Karachi to ensure fire safety measures within three days. www.express.pk
[○ 1 SOURCE] A fire occurred in the third-floor nursery of the Mother and Child Hospital at PIMS around 6:38 a. m. on Wednesday. www.arabnews.pk
[○ 1 SOURCE] Emergency exits and escape routes at the hospital were found to be permanently locked or obstructed. www.arabnews.pk
[○ 1 SOURCE] Fire and life-safety arrangements at the facility were inadequate and did not meet standard requirements. www.arabnews.pk

Timeline

about 20 hours ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 11 sources
PIMS Hospital fire in Islamabad kills 14 newborns
A fire at Islamabad's PIMS hospital killed 14 newborns, reportedly caused by an AC unit explosion. Investigations cite locked emergency exits and inadequate safety measures, prompting national audits.
3 days ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 358 sources
PIMS Hospital fire in Islamabad kills 14 newborns
At least 14 newborns died in a fire at the PIMS hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan. Authorities are investigating a suspected air conditioning failure and have suspended the Health Secretary.

Sources

072info.com · 1-a1072.azureedge.net · 2001online.com · 360stepeni.mk · 7colli.it · 98zero.com · aajtak.com · abbtakk.tv · abc17news.com · abcnews.al · abruzzoindependent.it · abruzzonews24.com · adnKronos.com · aeiou.pt · agenparl.eu · agenpress.it · agenziagiornalisticaopinione.it · akhbarekhyber.com.pk · alfavita.gr · algoafm.co.za · aljazeera.net · alsadatmarketing.com · ameve.eu · amigoearuba.com · amu.tv · anlatilaninotesi.com.tr · anteprima24.it · arabic.euronews.com · arabnews.pk · arynews.tv · atlantico.net · atvbl.rs · autor.aktuality.sk · avolanews.it · aztecapuebla.com · bajotecho.com.do · balarm.it · barlettaviva.it · basilicata24.it · bbv-net.de · beneventogiornale.com · bhaskarhindi.com · bienpublic.com · bigodino.it · bild.de · binews.it · blick.ch · blogsicilia.it

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history