Fire in Pakistani hospital: 15 infants die in Islamabad

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his dismay over the tragedy and instructed the authorities to launch an immediate investigation. He offered his condolences to the families of the killed infants and at the same time demanded consequences should the failure of individual bodies be confirmed.

The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences is one of the largest state-run hospitals in the capital, Islamabad, and treats patients from across the city and from surrounding regions. The obstetrics and neonatal ward is among the hospital's busiest departments.

Reactions from politics and society

In recent years, there have been repeated major fires in Pakistani hospitals, frequently attributed to outdated electrical systems, overloaded power grids, and inadequate fire safety measures. The incidents have long raised the question of whether safety standards in public healthcare facilities are sufficient.

Eyewitness accounts on the day of the disaster noted that the evacuation of the ward was hampered by the narrow access routes and the high number of patients. Family members who were in the building at the time of the fire described scenes of panic as smoke filled the corridors and rescue workers tried to reach the newborns.

Safety deficiencies and recurring incidents

Health authorities said the remaining patients had been transferred to other areas of the hospital as well as to nearby clinics. The identification of the killed infants and the notification of their relatives were being handled by the hospital administration and police.

The Pakistani government announced that a special representative would be appointed to investigate the fire. In parallel, supervisory authorities are examining whether fire safety regulations on the wards of the Pims complex had been monitored and complied with in recent years.

Opposition politicians, meanwhile, called for a parliamentary debate on the state of public healthcare facilities. They pointed out that similar incidents in the past had not triggered fundamental reforms. Civil society organizations also announced that they would pursue legal action to support the investigation.

Consequences and next steps

International news agencies, including the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, picked up the report and made the incident known worldwide. Diplomatic missions in Islamabad expressed their condolences to the families and the Pakistani government.

Funeral services for the killed infants are to be held in the coming days in close family circles. The hospital management announced that psychological support would be made available to the affected relatives.