14 babies die in fire at Islamabad’s Pims hospital

Fourteen infants were killed after a fire broke out in the gynaecology ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad early Wednesday.

The fire erupted on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital at around 6:45am, according to Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, who said it was caused by what he described as a blast in an air conditioner.

He said the blaze intensified because oxygen tanks were present in the ward, where the infants were either in incubators or receiving oxygen.

Islamabad administration said rescue teams were dispatched immediately and used six fire engines and four ambulances during the operation. The fire was brought under control and the children were moved to the intensive care unit.

Pims spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil said 15 babies had been in the ward, adding that a doctor managed to save one of them. She said six bodies had been handed over to the families, while the remaining bodies would be released shortly.

An AFP reporter at the hospital saw distressed relatives outside the facility, while security personnel guarded the entrance.

Authorities and law enforcement personnel were present at the hospital following the incident.