‘Black smoke’ chokes Pakistan maternity ward as hospital fire kills 14 infants

A fire at a maternity ward in Pakistan's Islamabad Hospital claimed the lives of at least 14 newborn infants on Wednesday morning. The blaze broke out on the third floor of the hospital's mother and child unit, one of the city's main state-run facilities. An air conditioning unit is believed to have ignited the fire, quickly spreading through the oxygen-rich environment and setting multiple incubators and oxygen equipment ablaze.

Of the 15 babies present in the ward, only one was rescued, while the remainder tragically perished. Pakistan's Health Minister Mustafa Kamal confirmed that all victims were either in incubators or on oxygen support. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has since suspended Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri, expressing "deep anger" at certain officials, and is leading a high-level investigation into the incident.

Eyewitnesses reported chaotic scenes with thick smoke, broken glass, and slow emergency response times. One witness claimed rescuers took hours to arrive, while another witnessed the thick smoke and trapped patients. Hivsa Walid, who was inside the hospital when the fire started, described the harrowing experience of rescuing her niece and nephew from the nursery.

The 19 survivors, including 10 women, seven children, and two men, were also rescued from the inferno. The hospital's District Magistrate has formed a committee to investigate the cause of the fire and deliver a report within 24 hours. The tragic event has sparked shock and outrage among the families gathered outside the hospital.

Pakistan has faced numerous major fires in recent years, often attributed to weak safety regulations and enforcement. In January, a fire at Karachi's Gul Plaza shopping center left 67 people dead.