Arya News - Bereaved families decry that rescue teams arrived “too late," as witnesses report locked doors.
ISLAMABAD – Fourteen infants were killed in a fire that broke out in the gynaecology ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) early on Wednesday.
What has happened so far:
14 babies die after fire erupts in ward; initial reports say spark erupted from AC, blaze spread due to oxygen points Bereaved families decry rescue teams arrived “too late”; witnesses report locked doors Health secretary removed; inquiry panel formed on PM’s orders; separate fact-finding committee constituted Health Minister Mustafa Kamal vows accountability; Tallal Chaudhry defends district administration Condolences from across the nation, other countries pour in Footage showed rescue workers using ladders to reach broken windows to access the affected area and grief-stricken women sitting on the ground outside the hospital. An AFP reporter saw a woman in tears and a man clear glass from two broken windows, as security guards stood at the entrance to the medical facility.
Several witnesses, their hands and faces blackened from the smoke, told AFP they waited hours for help from the emergency services. They were forced to smash through windows to try and get to the neonatal intensive care unit.
Others said they came across locked doors and alleged guards prevented those inside the building from leaving as the fire raged.
However, the hospital disputed this in a statement issued later in the evening. “All emergency exits were fully open and operational,” it asserted.
In a statement, the Islamabad administration said that the fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital’s ward. It said that rescue teams rushed to the scene, with six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances taking part in the rescue operation.
“The fire was immediately brought under control and the children were immediately shifted to the intensive care unit,” it said, adding that 14 children “were completely burnt”.
Pims Spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil told Dawn that 15 babies were in the ward. “At least one baby was saved by a doctor,” she said.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, who reached Islamabad from Karachi in the afternoon, vowed that “no one responsible for negligence, including me, will be spared”.
“The tragic fire incident at Pims MCH Centre, resulting in the loss of precious neonatal lives, is deeply heartbreaking,” the public hospital said.
Citing a preliminary report, the Pims statement said the incident was “initially caused by a spark inside nursery at 06:38am and within seconds a massive fire erupted due to oxygen points at each incubator”.
It said two doctors and two nurses on duty inside the nursery responded “immediately and called security staff, who joined in and tried to get in twice [to bring] babies out until 06:39am, when a huge blast occurred and ceilings fell down”.
The statement said the duty staff managed to rescue a baby in the nursery and four in an adjacent room, along with three mothers.
“Besides immediate response, staff managed rescue of 73 other admitted patients in the adjacent Gynae ward on the same floor within minutes,” it added.
The hospital asserted that “available fire safety equipment installed, including 35 fire extinguishers, were all utilised by the staff to contain the situation”.
Health minister vows accountability
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, the health minister said he will present himself to his superiors for accountability.
Providing details of the incident, Kamal said: “At 6:38am, it can be seen in the CCTV footage that there was a spark in the AC, then a fireball could be seen erupting out of it and landing on the floor of the ward. In one minute, at 6:39am, four people, including two nurses and two doctors, could be seen rushing for help and around the same time, the whole room was engulfed in flames”.
The health minister said the incident was being investigated by “experts, different institutions including us”, adding that “nothing will remain hidden and all facts will be unearthed”.
He continued: “Apparently, it seems that 14 out of the 15 infants were connected to oxygen tubes and it was that oxygen which caught flame.”
Kamal reiterated that the “heart-wrenching” incident will be investigated and warned that “if there was any negligence, then as I said, we will not spare them, including myself”.
The minister further said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had instructed him “not to speak about certain issues”. He said he would be meeting the premier and that the two had been in touch.
“Everyone is on board, and the findings will be presented,” he said.
On being asked if he was going to tender his resignation, the health minister said, “As I have said before, whoever is responsible [..] they will not be spared. I have said what I can, and I wish I could say more, but the prime minister is my boss, and whatever his orders will be, I can only say that.”
The federal minister was also questioned about fire safety standards at Pims, with a reporter pointing out that the hospital had been issued notices for the past eight years.
Kamal claimed that the hospital had ensured compliance each time a notice had been issued in the past, pointing out that the blaze was contained with “26 fire extinguishers available in the building”.
When a reporter asked about his early morning statement over the lack of adequate facilities at Pims and “why in his 2-2.5 years as a health minister, no improvement had been made”, the minister, getting visibly frustrated, said, “If it has been 2-2.5 years, then feel free to shoot me” and clarified that he had only been at his position for one year and two months.
“What I said in the morning has to be seen within a certain parameter. I was saying that even if this did not happen, there are still challenges at the hospital. It has a capacity of 200-300 OPDs, and today, it has a footfall of over 9,000 people”.
He maintained that he was merely presenting facts. “I am not saying that everything is ideal.”
When pointed out that it was his responsibility to upgrade the facility, Kamal acknowledged his role and said, “We have to do it, but things cannot be ideal given the current scenario, but if we go into that, the conversation will take a different turn”.
The minister reiterated that every responsible person will be held accountable. “If I am willing to present myself for accountability, then no one else is left.
“Wherever there has been negligence, we will fix it,” he said. Noting that such an incident should not have happened, he said: “Will get to its root cause and ensure prevention in the future.”
The minister was also asked about reports that the door of the ward was locked, to which he said that access to the ward was limited and guarded due to “instances of people stealing newborn babies a couple of years back”.
“You would not see that anywhere else in the world, but we have the issue, so the door had to be manned with a guard,” Kamal explained.
During his media talk, the minister got into a verbal altercation with an individual who asked when action would be taken against those responsible. As the individual got louder, the minister repeatedly gestured to him to come forward and said, “Sir, come here and talk to me.”
‘Give me my child back’
Malik Israr, whose niece was admitted to the gynae ward, told Dawn that it was unfortunate the nursery was housed in a building in which repair and renovation work was ongoing.
“After the fire erupted, they told patients to vacate the building. Women who had just given birth had to rush down the stairs from the second floor,” he said.
Khurram Mehmood, 40, told AFP he lost his three-day-old daughter in the blaze and that rescuers took hours to arrive.
“I lost my daughter. She was only three days old,” he said. “My wife was in the ward. They took everyone out. We were sitting on the road waiting for help.”
He added, “The fire erupted at 6am, rescue and authorities reached at 9am; people were helping themselves.”
“Give me my child back,” Jaweria, who lost her newborn, said outside the hospital. “I want justice.”
She told AFP: “Rescue teams arrived too late. Police arrived after four hours and said they are here to investigate. To hell with you, rescue team and police. Babies burnt to death there, but nobody could save them.”
“For two hours I kept crying and wailing,” the mother said, questioning the action taken by hospital staff and emergency responders.
“Why did the doctors leave the children there? One nurse, one doctor, one gynaecologist, one paediatrician — there was nobody in the entire ward. Why were they not there?”
Mudasir, another parent who also lost his child, said all doors of the ward, except one, were shut and that there was “no fire security” in the ward.
A mother with black residue from the smoke on her hands stood crying outside the hospital as she held her 10-day-old baby in her arms.
“People were screaming. There was black smoke. We ran for our lives. Thank god my baby is safe,” Shagufta Parveen told AFP.
Ali Abbas, 20, was with his sister who was a patient in the ward.
“There was a short circuit in the nursery, in the children’s ward,” he said. “It was full of smoke.”
Eyewitness Abdul Ghafoor told AFP that there was “thick black smoke inside and patients were trapped”.
“I barged in to try to save as many people as I could, but we could not reach the ward where the patients were.
“The fire was in the nursing room, and we could not see anything. Some of us broke the windows to help people get out.”
Among the victims were the twin daughters of Bahadur Khan, a vegetable seller, The New York Times reported. He had left them with their mother to get some rest at home. Bahadur said his wife was recovering in Pims’ intensive care unit and was not aware of the deaths of their three-day-old daughters.
Alam Zaib, the father of a newborn child who was in another ward and remained safe, was quoted as saying that he tried to enter the ward where the fire broke out, but the door was locked.
Pims, established in 1985, is Islamabad’s biggest public sector hospital. It is one of the oldest health facilities in the federal capital and comprises several hospitals and teaching institutes.
Fires in large buildings are frequent in Pakistan, often due to poor safety laws and building codes as well as lax enforcement.
Health secretary removed; inquiry, fact-finding panels formed
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and directed the relevant authorities to investigate it. According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), he expressed deep sorrow and grief at the incident and offered his condolences to the bereaved families.
“Such a situation involving children is unbearable,” the statement quoted him as saying.
“The circumstances that led to the incident should be thoroughly reviewed, those responsible should be identified, and the strictest possible action should be taken,” he said.
In a second statement, the PMO said the prime minister had suspended and removed federal Health Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri.
The premier chaired a high-level meeting on the incident, where he expressed his anger and issued directives for “strict action”, the PMO said in another statement.
It also stated that the prime minister suspended the federal health secretary and asked him to leave the meeting.
The statement quoted the prime minister as saying: “I am heartbroken at this tragic incident and share the parents’ grief.”
Subsequently, Captain (retired) Muhammad Mahmood, a BS-21 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), was appointed to the post of health secretary for three months “or till the posting of a regular incumbent,” a notification issued by the Cabinet Secretariat said.
According to the PMO, a high-level inquiry committee, headed by former interior secretary Shahid Khan, has launched an investigation.
According to state-run Radio Pakistan, Major General (retired) Dr Khursheed Uttra, Establishment Division Secretary Dr Barrister Nabeel Awan and Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon will serve as its members.
The inquiry committee will submit an interim report to the prime minister within 48 hours, containing recommendations for immediate action.
It will submit a comprehensive report within five days, containing the findings of the complete investigation and actionable recommendations.
The health ministry has been directed to immediately notify the inquiry committee and provide it with the necessary assistance.
According to the terms of reference (ToRs), the panel will ascertain the cause of the fire and review the rescue operations carried out by the hospital staff and relevant agencies such as Rescue 1122.
Besides conducting a detailed review of the fire safety infrastructure at Pims, the committee will also determine the responsibility and negligence, if any, of individuals involved in the incident.
It will recommend necessary reforms for Pims’s administrative system to help prevent such kind of incidents in the future.
Separately, a notification issued by the Islamabad district magistrate said that a seven-member fact-finding committee, headed by the additional deputy commissioner general (ADCG), had been formed to determine the facts behind the fire.
The members of the committee included the CES director general, the City police station superintendent, the assistant commissioner (Industrial Area), the director general of Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) Electrical and Mechanical wing, along with representatives from Pims and Islamabad Electric Supply Company.
The committee was tasked with determining the exact cause of the fire, assessing whether adequate and functional fire-safety measures were in place, and evaluating the response time and effectiveness of the rescue and fire-fighting operations.
The notification said that a report would be furnished within 24 hours.
Minister of State for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik assured in a post on X that a “complete, transparent, and impartial investigation of the incident will be conducted to determine the true causes of this catastrophe and any possible negligence”.
“In the event that negligence or failure is proven at any level, strict action will be taken against the responsible individuals in accordance with the law,” he added, extending his condolences to the bereaved families and expressing grief over the incident.
Meanwhile, PPP leader Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, who reached Pims along with Senator Sherry Rehman and others, demanded that the head of the MCH be removed.
Bokhari said it was not just negligence but rather criminal negligence and should not be ignored.
Rehman said the Pims’ executive director must “answer why the system here keeps being akin to gross negligence”.
“The health ministry now has no justification for taking public funds. It should be dissolved or devolved to the provinces,” she was quoted as saying by her party.
She insisted they were not visiting “to play politics” but were sent by the party leadership to raise questions on behalf of the public.
In a post on her X account, Rehman also shared a video of her visiting the ward.
“Totally gutted. People had to break windows and jump out. Emergency gate was closed, fire equipment not working, medical staff not present,” she wrote.
“Honestly, I would have resigned on the spot,” Rehman added later.
Tallal Chaudhry defends district administration
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry insisted that there had not been any delay in the arrival of rescue teams and defended the district administration.
“After receiving information in the control room, they reached the hospital within six minutes,” the state minister said while speaking to the media in Islamabad.
He added that once the rescue teams assessed the situation, 19 people were rescued, including seven children, 1o mothers and two men.
He also said that administration officials “from the assistant commissioner to commissioner to the Islamabad IG” reached the hospital to monitor the situation. “Not only did they monitor but also assisted in the rescue operation,” he said.
Reiterating that rescue teams reached the site within six minutes, the state minister said, “There appears to be no negligence on the part of rescue services.”
However, he added, only the hospital administration could answer for the arrangements present within the hospital.
Chaudhry said that the bodies of all 14 infants had been handed over to their families.
He added that a report of the incident had been sent to the prime minister and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who he said had been monitoring the situation.
On being asked if Pims met the CDA’s fire safety protocols, with a journalist also pointing out that his ministry had been issuing notices to the hospital for the past seven years, he acknowledged that notices had been issued.
“It is a huge institution, and notices were issued […] but what was complied with and what was not — as there are multiple buildings; we cannot conclude anything today, and an inquiry committee has been formed”.
Asked why the administration had not been active on the fire safety issue before, he said, “If there has been any negligence, the inquiry committee will find out.”
An inquiry committee has been formed for a “high-powered” investigation into the incident, Chaudhry noted. He said the committee will collect evidence — CCTV footage, presence of flammable equipment, why the door was locked, the number of doctors and nurses present — and present its findings.
In its update on the incident, CDA said fire and rescue teams reached the site within seven minutes after a call was received at 6:54am.
Fire tenders, rescue teams, ambulances of the Capital Emergency Services (CES) and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration were part of the deployed resources.
Nation expresses grief
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families. In a statement, the president said that the loss of lives was “heartbreaking and an irreparable loss”.
“Responsibility for the incident should be determined and action should be taken in accordance with the law,” he said.
Effective fire safety and emergency arrangements must be ensured in hospitals for the protection of patients, especially newborn babies, the president urged.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said he was deeply saddened by the incident.
“My deepest condolences to the bereaved parents and families. No words can ease the pain of losing an innocent child. May Allah Almighty grant the families strength and sabr in this unimaginably difficult hour,” he said.
As per the prime minister’s orders an immediate and thorough investigation will establish the causes of this tragic incident to ensure that those found responsible face the strictest action. The safety of our children must remain paramount,” he said.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari wrote on X: “Mothers do not keep their children in the womb for nine months just so that, due to someone’s negligence, they burn alive as soon as they are born.
“The deaths of 14 newborns in the federal capital are one of the most horrific tragedies in human history. The helpless fathers, whose lamps of hope were extinguished the very instant they were lit, are seeking justice.”
In a statement earlier in the day, he described the incident as an “unbearable tragedy for the entire nation”. He called for an impartial investigation into the incident and said the nation be informed how such a tragedy occurred at a major hospital.
“Those responsible for negligence or failing to ensure the safety of patients must be held accountable,” he added, stressing that the federal government must ensure the safety of patients and medical staff at all hospitals under its administration.
First Lady and MNA Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari also expressed “profound grief and sorrow over the tragic loss of newborn babies” and conveyed her “deepest sympathies to the bereaved families”.
“The loss of innocent newborn lives is heartbreaking and deeply distressing,” a statement by the Presidency quoted her as saying.
She called for a “thorough, swift and transparent investigation” into the incident.
PML-N President Nawaz Sharif said he was “deeply grieved” to hear about the deaths. He urged the government to take strict action against those responsible and ensure measures were put in place to prevent such incidents in the future.
Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incident. In a statement, he offered his condolences to the families affected.
He said effective safety measures, fire safety systems and all necessary arrangements to deal with emergencies must be ensured in hospitals to prevent such incidents.
“Any negligence in safety measures is unacceptable,” he said. Gilani urged the relevant authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident and take effective and practical steps to prevent such tragedies in the future.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also expressed profound grief and sorrow over the deaths of the infants.
In a statement, he said he was “heartbroken” over the incident and shared equally in the pain and grief of the bereaved parents.
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) called for an urgent review as it expressed grief over the incident.
“Unicef is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of at least 14 newborn lives following a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in Islamabad today.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families and all those affected by this devastating incident,” it said in a statement.
The UN agency added, “ Every newborn deserves a safe start to life, and every mother and child should be able to receive care in a safe, secure health facility.
It called for the urgent review and strengthening of fire prevention and safety standards across health facilities.
The British High Commission in Pakistan termed the incident “heartbreaking news”.
“Our deepest condolences and thoughts are with the parents and families at this unimaginably difficult time,” it said.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry also expressed “deepest condolences and sincere sympathy” to the families of the infants and to the people and the government of Pakistan.
“The kingdom expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims and stands with the government and people of Pakistan in the face of this great tragedy, wishing the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and its brotherly people security and peace,” the statement read.
The Turkish embassy said it was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of newborn lives”,
“We extend our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the bereaved families. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this profoundly painful time. May Allah grant them strength, patience and solace,” it said on X.
Spain’s embassy also extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.”
The French embassy shared the sentiment, describing the incident as “deeply distressing”.
“Our hearts go out to the families who lost their newborn children in the tragic fire at Pims in Islamabad. Loss of innocent lives is heartbreaking and deeply distressing. Embassy of France extends its deepest sympathies to bereaved families and everyone affected by this tragedy,” it said in its message on X.
The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) said in a statement that it was in “deep mourning” over the incident.
“The association reiterates that healthcare facilities are designed to protect and restore human lives, yet administrative failure and regulatory oversight lapses have turned these institutions into danger zones,” it said.
It demanded action against officials “whose failure to uphold safety codes resulted in this catastrophe”. It also demanded enforcing strict consequences so that “systemic failure serves as a decisive warning, preventing future lapses across both public and private medical facilities”.
It further said that there should be immediate restructuring and public accountability of health regulatory authorities responsible for enforcing safety protocols, building codes and emergency infrastructure in hospitals.
The PMA also called for “full institutional backing for the grieving parents, ensuring they receive complete legal, financial, and emotional justice”.
Search for Justice (SFJ) and Children Advocacy Network (CAN) Pakistan, a collective platform of local civil society organisations working for the protection and rights of children, also expressed their deep sorrow.
“The death of newborn children in a place entrusted with their treatment and care is deeply distressing and raises serious questions about safety and emergency preparedness,” said Rashida Qureshi, programme manager at SFJ and spokesperson for CAN Pakistan.
In its statement, the Islamabad Citizens Network (ICN) said, “This is not merely an unfortunate accident; it is a national tragedy in which innocent newborns, entirely dependent on the hospital system, its staff and state-provided arrangements for their safety and survival, lost their lives.”
It contended that an inquiry committee headed by an ADC was “neither adequate nor appropriate given the gravity of the tragedy and the need to determine possible administrative, criminal and institutional responsibility”.
ICN demanded an immediate judicial inquiry and an independent investigation into allegations by parents regarding the absence of staff, emergency exits and other administrative lapses.
It recalled that similar tragic incidents had occurred in Lahore’s Services Hospital in June 2012, the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) in Karachi in January 2020, and the nursery of Sahiwal Teaching Hospital in June 2024.
Civil Society Network Pakistan (CSNP) called upon Federal Constitution Court’s (FCC) Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan to take immediate notice on a suo motu basis or initiate appropriate constitutional proceedings on serious human rights violations arising out of the babies’ deaths.
CSNP President Advocate Abdullah Malik told Dawn that he has also requested the FCC chief justice to consider constituting a high-level, independent and transparent inquiry to determine the exact cause and circumstances of the fire at Pims.
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