14 newborns killed at PIMS Hospital fire

ISLAMABAD: At least 14 newborn babies were killed when a fire broke out in the neonatal ward of the Mother and Child Hospital at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) early Wednesday morning, while one baby was rescued, according to hospital documents and officials.

The fire broke out at around 6:54am on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital, where 15 newborns were present, hospital authorities said. Rescue teams rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control, but 14 infants died in the incident.

According to the Islamabad administration, six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances participated in the rescue operation. The administration said the fire was brought under control and the affected children were shifted to the intensive care unit, but 14 infants had suffered fatal burns.

Pims spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil told Dawn that 15 babies were present in the ward and that at least one infant was saved by a doctor.

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, speaking to HUM News, said the infants were either in incubators or receiving oxygen at the time of the incident. He said the fire appeared to have started after what he described as a blast in an air conditioner inside the ward. He said that all hospital team and doctors tend to the emergency. He said that the hospital administration is in contact with parents.

According to the minister, the blast triggered the fire, while the presence of oxygen tanks intensified the blaze. Law enforcement agencies were also present at the hospital following the incident.