Tragic fire in Islamabad hospital kills 14 infants

A devastating fire tore through a maternity ward in Islamabad on Wednesday, claiming the lives of 14 infants, according to Pakistani authorities. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for a comprehensive investigation into the incident, expressing profound sorrow over the tragic loss of 14 young lives. The blaze erupted on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health Ward at the public Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

The Islamabad district office confirmed the death toll, specifying that all victims were infants. Prime Minister Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi both conveyed their deep grief and sorrow, emphasizing that such a situation involving children is irreparable. Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire, which broke out around 7:00 am, prompting immediate response from emergency services.

Sohail Ashraf, the Islamabad chief commissioner, reported that rescue and police teams arrived promptly, extinguishing the flames. Outside the hospital, onlookers witnessed a woman in tears and a man cleaning glass from broken windows, while security guards stood guard at the facility's entrance. Fires in large buildings are unfortunately common in Pakistan, often resulting from inadequate safety regulations, building codes, and lax enforcement.

Notably, a shopping center fire in Karachi in January claimed over 65 lives, and another in the same city in 2023 left at least 11 people dead. In 2021, a factory fire in Karachi resulted in the deaths of at least 16 workers, while a garment factory fire in Baldia Town in 2012 resulted in the loss of at least 250 laborers, many of whom had no escape routes due to the absence of a fire escape.