Pakistani investigators visiting hospital nursery where fire killed 14 newborns
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Investigators appointed by Pakistan’s prime minister were making a visit Thursday to the hospital nursery where a fast-moving fire killed 14 newborns , as grieving families and the public sought…
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed an investigating committee to examine the fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) nursery in Islamabad that killed 14 newborns on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. The fire, which was confined to the third-floor nursery, resulted in the loss of just one baby among the 15 infants present.
Hospital officials stated the blaze spread rapidly due to a high concentration of oxygen, and investigators are expected to interview hospital staff, witnesses, and grieving families. The committee, led by retired federal secretary Shahid Khan, is tasked with submitting urgent recommendations to the prime minister within 48 hours and a comprehensive report within five days.
Initially, hospital and district officials blamed an exploding air-conditioning unit, but the hospital's preliminary report alleges a nebulizer blast sparked the fire. Authorities have handed over the bodies to the families and ordered a broader review of fire-safety measures across hospitals in Punjab province.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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