Hospital fire kills 15 infants in Islamabad

A fire broke out at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, a major public hospital in Islamabad, killing infants. According to Dawn, 14 infants were killed, while the hospital spokesperson, Dr Aneeza Jalil, reported 15 babies were in the ward, with at least one saved by a doctor.

The fire occurred on the third floor of the maternity ward, and rescue teams responded quickly with six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances. Footage showed rescue workers using ladders and going through broken windows to access the affected area.

The Islamabad administration stated that the fire was immediately brought under control, and the children were shifted to the intensive care unit. An inquiry committee was formed to investigate the incident, and according to Dr Jalil, the fire appeared to have been caused by a short circuit at around 7am. The Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, called for an immediate investigation into the tragedy.

Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Times, DW News, Dawn, Dawn - Pakistan — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.