‘No one can understand the pain:’ Fire in maternity ward kills at least 14 newborn babies in Pakistan’s capital
Islamabad, Pakistan — At least 14 newborn babies died Wednesday morning in one of Pakistan’s deadliest hospital fires in recent decades. The fire broke out inside the maternity ward at the government-run Pakistan Institute for Medical Sciences (PIMS), the largest hospital in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, around seven am local time. The blaze appears to have been … The post ‘No one can understand…
Islamabad, Pakistan experienced a devastating hospital fire on Wednesday morning that claimed the lives of at least 14 newborn babies. The inferno erupted inside the maternity ward at the Pakistan Institute for Medical Sciences (PIMS), the largest hospital in the nation's capital. Rescue efforts managed to save one infant. An explosion from an air conditioning compressor is believed to have sparked the blaze within the nursery where the vulnerable newborns were being attended to.
One bereaved father lamented, "No one can understand the pain I'm going through," as he recounted his 3-day-old child's tragic demise in the flames. Another visitor, Muneeba, narrowly escaped the inferno with her nephew and sister-in-law, expressing relief that her baby remained unharmed. Locked doors within the ward hindered escape routes for some.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the incident, vowing to conduct an immediate investigation and mete out strict punishment to those held accountable. Critics, including a member of Pakistan's national assembly, condemned the tragedy as "shameful and unforgivable," demanding swift justice for the perpetrators.
The incident has brought attention to Pakistan's underfunded and understaffed healthcare system, plagued by aging infrastructure and inadequate emergency preparedness.
Written by urgent.news from Egypt Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
