A fire broke out in an air-conditioning unit on the third floor of the mother and child unit at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad, killing 14 of the 15 babies present, according to a spokesperson. Only one baby was saved. The fire also led to the rescue of seven other babies, two men, and 10 mothers from other parts of the hospital.

Witnesses Describe Chaos and Delays

Hivsa Walid, who was near the affected room, said she initially thought a patient had died when she heard a shout but then noticed smoke, but she fled the hospital with her sister-in-law’s newborn, who does not yet have a name. “We didn’t even think about our belongings. We just grabbed the baby and rushed downstairs,” she said. “Some patients had delivered their babies just that night. I don’t even know how we managed to get down — it was all a blur.”

Khurram Mehmood, whose three-day-old daughter died in the fire, told AFP news agency that rescue workers took hours to arrive. “We were sitting on the road waiting for help,” he said. Another witness, Abdul Ghafoor, said the fire spread “very quickly” and that he tried to reach the maternity ward but could not due to thick smoke and chaos.

Jaweria, the mother of another victim, said the door to the maternity ward was locked. “For two hours I kept crying and wailing,” she said. “Police arrived after four hours and said they are here to investigate.” She questioned why the doctors left the children unattended: “To hell with you, rescue team and police. Babies burnt to death there, but nobody could save them.”

Official Response and Suspensions

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspended Federal Secretary of Health Aslam Ghauri, a top official in the health department, removing him from his post. The PM has been chairing a high-level meeting on the hospital fire and has expressed “deep anger” at some officials, according to the information ministry.

Rana Imran Sikander, the hospital’s executive director, told the BBC that the ward’s door was not locked but was manned. He cited the need to protect babies from being stolen, which has happened before at government hospitals. Some families identified their deceased babies through wristbands, while others used the babies’ ages. Some were only three hours old, according to Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry.

Concerns Over Safety and Protocols

The babies in the ward were either in incubators or hooked up to oxygen equipment, Pakistan’s Health Minister Mustafa Kamal told Geo News. Oxygen is not flammable on its own, but it can accelerate a fire, making materials burn hotter and faster. Walid suggested PIMS’s safety protocols were inadequate despite the hospital being a major institution.

Eyewitnesses described chaotic and harrowing scenes at the hospital, including intense smoke and broken glass, with some complaining that rescuers were slow to respond. The incident has sparked public outrage and raised questions about emergency preparedness and hospital safety in Pakistan.