14 Newborns Killed in Pakistan Hospital Fire as Families Question Locked Door and Rescue Response

A devastating fire at a maternity ward in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, has killed 14 newborn babies, leaving families grieving and raising serious questions about the emergency response.

The blaze broke out shortly after dawn on Wednesday at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), one of the capital’s major government hospitals. The fire reportedly started in an air-conditioning unit on the third floor of the mother and child unit.

Hivsa Walid was near the ward with her sister-in-law, who had given birth only days earlier, when she heard shouting and noticed smoke.

She immediately grabbed the newborn and rushed downstairs with her sister-in-law, leaving their belongings behind.

“Some patients had delivered their babies just that night,” she said, describing the evacuation as chaotic and frightening.

Of the 15 babies in the ward, only one survived, according to reports.

For grieving parents, the tragedy has been made even more painful by claims that emergency help took too long to arrive.

Khurram Mehmood, 40, told AFP that his three-day-old daughter was among those who died.

“I lost my daughter. She was only three days old,” he said.

Authorities are expected to investigate the cause of the fire, the hospital’s safety arrangements and the response time during the emergency.

The tragedy has sparked renewed concerns about fire safety and emergency preparedness in Pakistan’s public hospitals.