Fire Engulfs Newborn Nursery at PIMS, Investigation Underway
Blaze at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences nursery housed at least 15 infants; Prime Minister orders immediate inquiry.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Sarah Connor
A fire erupted early Wednesday at a nursery for newborns at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Pakistan's capital.
Firefighters responded swiftly, extinguishing the inferno. Police and ambulances converged outside the hospital building as authorities cordoned off the ward.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an immediate investigation into the incident. He stated, "A tragedy involving children is an irreparable loss," and called for those responsible to be identified and the strictest action taken.
A tragedy involving children is an irreparable loss.
A multiagency fact-finding committee has been appointed. This committee will investigate the cause, assess fire-safety measures, and review the emergency response.
The fire reportedly began at about 6:45am, igniting after an air-conditioner compressor exploded inside the nursery.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal also stated the blaze had been caused by an air conditioner. Hospital officials confirmed that bodies would be released once paperwork was completed.
Grieving parents and relatives have claimed the nursery may not have had adequate firefighting equipment; this concern remains uncorroborated.
This incident follows an inferno at the Gul Plaza in Karachi last January. That blaze killed at least 72 people.