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14 Newborns Die as Fire Engulfs Islamabad Hospital Maternity Ward

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(Mother Lost Her Child in The Fire. Photo by Punch News)

A fire tore through a hospital maternity ward in Islamabad on Wednesday, killing 14 newborns.

Authorities blamed a faulty air conditioner for the blaze that broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health Ward at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, the country’s premier public hospital.

Witnesses described scenes of chaos and horror.

Thick black smoke filled the ward as families rushed to escape.

The neonatal intensive care unit door was locked, trapping patients inside.

Security guards reportedly blocked people from leaving while the fire spread rapidly.

Rescue teams arrived nearly two hours after the fire started, authorities said.

One man told journalists he lost his three-day-old daughter and waited on the road for hours before help arrived.

Another woman whose infant died questioned why doctors left the children there.

A mother stood outside holding her newborn, covered in soot, saying people screamed and ran for their lives as smoke engulfed the ward.

Families gathered outside as a nurse called out the names of babies who had perished.

Other patients streamed out with soot covering their faces.

One woman held her ten-day-old child and thanked God the baby survived.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed deep grief.

The prime minister said those responsible should be identified and face strict punishment.

Hospital officials said an electrical fault in the air conditioner sparked the fire.

Fires are common in Pakistani buildings due to weak safety laws and poor enforcement of building codes.

In January, more than 65 people died in a shopping centre fire in Karachi.

At least 11 died in another mall fire there in 2023.

 

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