At least 14 newborn babies died early Wednesday morning in a fire on the third floor of the mother and child unit at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad [1, 2, 3, 4]. The fire broke out between 6:30 and 6:45 a.m. in the nursery, where 15 newborns were present; only one infant was rescued [1, 3, 4].

Officials said the fire was triggered by a fault in an air conditioning unit in the maternity ward, with some sources citing an explosion of the compressor [1, 2, 4]. The blaze was confined to the nursery and did not spread to other hospital wards [4].

Emergency responders evacuated at least 19 other people, including women, children, and men, from the hospital during the incident [1]. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes, with one saying, “It was hot, and I could hear so much yelling and panicked shouts, and I couldn’t even see due to darkness. The smoke made it hard to breathe” [3]. Another witness said, “We were sitting on the road waiting for help,” citing delays in rescue efforts [1]. There are conflicting reports on the response time; some claim rescue teams took nearly two hours to arrive while official records indicate fire tenders and ambulances reached the hospital within seven minutes of the 6:45 a.m. emergency call [1, 3].

All the deceased newborns were badly burned, requiring DNA tests for identification [1, 4]. The blaze occurred in a hospital that has seen previous fatal fires linked to faulty air conditioning, including one in Punjab in June 2024 that killed 11 babies [3].

Following the fire, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep sorrow, regret, and anger” toward some officials involved and removed Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri from his post [1, 4]. Sharif called the tragedy “an irreparable loss” involving children [4]. President Asif Ali Zardari also condemned the incident, calling the deaths “heartbreaking” [4]. Grieving families spoke out, with one mother saying, “I don’t know what to say or whom to blame. I have lost my child” [4].

Prime Minister Sharif chaired a high-level meeting later Wednesday to review the incident and responses [1, 4]. The government will continue investigations to establish all causes and accountability following the disaster.