Pims fire: Inquiry committee finds 'systemic, institutional failure' behind tragedy
ISLAMABAD: An inquiry committee formed to probe the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has found “systemic and institutional failure” and determined that an electrical failure was the most likely cause of the blaze, it emerged on Tuesday. The August 26 fire at a nursery in Pims’ Mother and Child Hospital claimed the lives of 14 newborns. The incident raised concerns…
Islamabad has seen an inquiry committee unveil a 43-page report probing the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), which claimed 14 lives on August 26. The committee, led by former interior secretary Shahid Khan, found "systemic and institutional failure" to be the primary cause behind the tragedy. The fire began due to an electrical fault, according to the National Forensics Agency, with abnormal localised heating likely caused by excessive current or a high-resistance connection.
Despite heroic efforts from Charge Nurse Nasreen Akhtar, Security Guard Maria Saleem, and Staff Nurse Razia Noreen, the lack of adequate safety measures and institutional safeguards led to the devastating outcome. The report outlined a causal chain of events, from the electrical failure to overcrowding and delayed institutional response, highlighting the systemic failure of Pims' governance, maintenance, and regulatory systems.
Criminal charges remain unsubstantiated, but the committee urged further investigation into potential culpability in electrical installation, obstruction of emergency routes, and delays in summoning external assistance.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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