At least 14 newborn babies die in fire at Pakistan hospital
- At least 14 newborn babies have died after a fire broke out in the gynaecology ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in Islamabad following an air conditioning unit explosion.
- Hospital officials reported that only one infant was rescued from the 15 housed inside the nursery at the time of the blaze, which has since been extinguished by emergency response teams.
- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the deaths an irreparable loss and ordered an immediate investigation, prompting local authorities to establish a multiagency committee instructed to report within 24 hours.
- Grieving parents assembled outside the government hospital to demand justice and answers, with relatives claiming that emergency doors were locked and proper firefighting equipment was absent.
- The disaster underscores broader concerns regarding Pakistan’s under-resourced public healthcare system and poor fire safety record, coming after a series of deadly blazes across the country in recent months.
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