ISLAMABAD, (Economy india): Fourteen newborns were killed on Wednesday after a fire broke out in the Mother and Child Health ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), one of the largest public hospitals in Pakistan’s capital, authorities said.
The fire erupted on the third floor of the hospital’s maternal and child health ward early in the morning. Islamabad’s district administration confirmed the deaths and said rescue teams, police and other officials rushed to the hospital after receiving an emergency call shortly before 7 a.m.
The blaze was brought under control by emergency teams, with six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances involved in the rescue operation. Children from the affected ward were evacuated and shifted to the intensive care unit after the fire was extinguished.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been officially established. Some local reports cited a possible fault involving the hospital’s air-conditioning system, but authorities said an investigation would determine the cause.
An inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire and the deaths. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and directed authorities to conduct an immediate investigation and identify those responsible.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about fire safety and emergency preparedness at public hospitals in Pakistan. PIMS is a major healthcare facility in Islamabad and serves a large number of patients from the capital and surrounding areas.
The incident remains under investigation as authorities work to establish the precise cause of the fire and determine whether any safety failures contributed to the deaths.
(Economy india)
