At least 14 newborns killed in fire at Islamabad state hospital

Islamabad, Pakistan. At least 14 infants were killed in a fire at the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.

Local media reported that the blaze, which broke out in the hospital’s mother and child health ward, may have been caused by a fault in the air conditioning system.

Fire in newborn ward

The fire began at about 7 a.m. local time on the third floor of the hospital’s mother and child health ward, broadcaster Geo TV reported.

Geo TV put the death toll at 15 and said that 16 newborns were in the ward when the fire broke out. One infant was rescued, according to the broadcaster.

The ward was cordoned off following the incident, a Reuters witness said.

Parents call for justice

Outside the hospital, ambulances gathered as parents mourned their children.

“Give me my child,” Javeria, who said she lost her newborn, told reporters. “I want justice.”

Another parent, Mudasir, who also said he lost his child, said all but one of the ward’s doors had been closed and that there was “no fire security” in the ward. Both parents gave only their first names.

Investigation ordered

Sharif’s office said the prime minister had directed authorities to conduct an immediate investigation.

There was no immediate comment from hospital officials or other authorities.

PIMS is one of Islamabad’s main public hospitals and is centrally located in the capital, which has a population of about 1.1 million. The incident was among the deadliest hospital fires in recent years in Pakistan, where subsidised government healthcare facilities are often under-resourced and overburdened.