ISLAMABAD: A fire that erupted in the newborn nursery of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) early Wednesday has resulted in a devastating loss of life, with the reported death toll differing between hospital and rescue officials.
According to DAWN, PIMS spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil said 14 newborns had died in the fire. Meanwhile, rescue officials cited by JANG put the death toll at 15, saying 16 babies were present in the nursery when the fire broke out and that one infant was rescued.
The discrepancy in the casualty figures comes as authorities continue to deal with the aftermath of the fire and establish exactly how many newborns were in the ward at the time of the incident.
The fire reportedly broke out at around 7am on Wednesday in the gynaecology ward of the Mother and Child Hospital at PIMS. The Islamabad administration said the fire occurred on the third floor of the facility and that rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances participated in the rescue operation, according to the administration. The flames were brought under control and the affected area was subsequently subjected to a cooling operation.
According to the PIMS spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil, 15 babies were in the ward, but said the exact number of casualties could not initially be confirmed because some babies may have been discharged during the night. She said the fire appeared to have been caused by a short circuit and confirmed that at least one baby was saved by a doctor.
Rescue officials, however, gave a different account, reporting that 16 newborns were present when the fire started and 15 died. They also said the fire began at approximately 6:45am, with rescue teams later starting the cooling process after extinguishing the flames.
The conflicting casualty figures are expected to be clarified as hospital authorities and investigators verify the identities and number of newborns present in the nursery at the time of the fire.
The incident has also raised questions about conditions inside the hospital. Malik Israr, whose niece was admitted to the gynaecology ward, told that repair and renovation work was underway in the building. He said women who had recently given birth were forced to leave the building using the stairs after the fire erupted.
The cause of the fire also remains subject to investigation. While PIMS spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil said initial indications pointed to a short circuit, rescue reports attributed the fire to an air-conditioner compressor explosion. These accounts have not been reconciled, making the formal investigation particularly important.
The Islamabad administration has constituted an inquiry committee headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner General to investigate the incident and determine how the fire started and how the emergency response unfolded.
The tragedy has placed renewed attention on fire safety, emergency evacuation arrangements and critical infrastructure in hospital units caring for highly vulnerable newborns. A nursery caring for premature or critically ill infants presents particular challenges during an emergency because many babies may require assisted breathing, monitoring or other intensive support and cannot be evacuated independently.
Established in 1985, PIMS is Islamabad’s largest public-sector hospital and includes several hospitals and teaching institutions. The Mother and Child Hospital is among its facilities providing maternity and neonatal care.
As authorities investigate the fire, the immediate priority remains establishing the definitive casualty figure, determining the precise cause of the blaze and examining whether fire-safety and emergency-response arrangements were adequate for a hospital nursery.
The deaths of the newborns have turned what began as an early-morning hospital emergency into one of the capital’s most devastating recent hospital tragedies.
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