Islamabad : At least 15 newborn babies were killed after a fire broke out at a government-run hospital in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad today. According to news agency, citing local broadcaster Geo TV, the blaze was reportedly caused by a fault in the hospital’s air-conditioning system. The fire broke out at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital around two hours before the report, Geo TV said. “Cooling operations” were ongoing, the broadcaster added.
16 newborns were in the hospital’s gynaecology ward when the fire broke out. One of them was rescued. The nursery housed 16 newborns at the time of the incident, of whom only one was rescued. Rescue sources told Geo News that the fire started after an air-conditioner compressor exploded inside the nursery at the hospital situated in the federal capital. 14 children were completely burnt in the fire that broke out on the third floor of the MCH ward,
Rescue teams reached the site immediately after receiving information, the district administration said, adding that six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances took part in the rescue operations. An inquiry committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the additional deputy commissioner to investigate the incident. PIMS is the same hospital where former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was taken for medical examination after a court-mandated health checkup.
PIMS is a public medical institution occupying a large area in Pakistan’s capital. Hospital fires occur regularly across the country, including in state-run facilities, where outdated electrical systems are often in use. The circumstances of the tragedy in Islamabad and the final cause of the fire are to be determined during the further investigation.
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