Maternity ward inferno kills 14 infants in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: A fire erupted in a hospital maternity ward in Islamabad on Wednesday killing 14 infants, Pakistan authorities said, blaming a faulty air conditioner for the blaze.
A fire broke out at the Mother and Child Health Ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on Wednesday, resulting in the tragic deaths of 14 infants, according to authorities. The blaze was attributed to a faulty air conditioner, as stated by Pakistan authorities. The fire broke out on the third floor of the hospital around 7 a.m., according to the Islamabad chief commissioner, Sohail Ashraf.
Emergency services arrived almost two hours after the fire started, but residents claim they were prevented from leaving the ward by security guards. Khurram Mehmood, a witness, lost his three-day-old daughter in the fire and recounted the chaotic and harrowing scenes, including intense smoke and broken glass. Families were seen outside the hospital, some covered in soot and others in tears.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed their deep sorrow over the deaths of the infants, urging a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding the incident and strict action against those responsible.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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