Fire kills fourteen newborns at Pakistan hospital
Shafaq News- Islamabad
At least fourteen newborns were killed when a fire swept through the nursery of a maternity ward at Islamabad's largest public hospital early Wednesday, according to the city's district administration.
The blaze started on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health Ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). One baby was pulled out alive, according to hospital officials.
PIMS spokesperson Dr. Aneeza Jalil told Dawn newspaper that the ward's nursery held about fifteen infants when the fire broke out, most of them in incubators or on oxygen.
Sohail Ashraf, the chief commissioner of Islamabad, said the emergency call came in shortly before 7:00 a.m. local time and that rescue teams, medical specialists and police reached the site and brought the fire under control. The district administration said an inquiry committee had been formed to determine the cause.
Emergency Fire CallPIMS Hospital (MCH) Call Time 0654 Rescue teams, AC Industrial area, police and myself immediately reached at site and controlled the fire. We shall keep you updated regarding casualty or any other news @CDAthecapital.
— Sohail (@SohailAshrafGor) August 26, 2026
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said an explosion in an air-conditioning unit inside the ward set off the fire, according to Geo News. Rescue officials gave a similar account, though no investigation has yet confirmed the origin.
اسلام آباد : 26 اگست 2026.وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف نے پمز ہسپتال کی نرسری میں آتشزدگی کے اندوناک واقعہ میں 14 نومولود جاں بحق ہونے پر گہرے دکھ اور دِلی افسوس کا اظہار کیا. وزیراعظم نے معصوم بچوں کے لواحقین سے دلی اظہار تعزیت کیا۔ وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف نے آتشزدگی کے افسوسناک…
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) August 26, 2026
