PIMS nursery fire kills at least 15 newborns in Islamabad
A mechanical failure in an air conditioning unit triggered a blaze in the children’s ward, leaving only one infant among sixteen unharmed.
At least 15 newborns have died following a fire in the children’s ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital in Islamabad. The incident occurred on Wednesday, with local media citing hospital officials to confirm the scale of the tragedy.
According to reports from Geo News, the nursery was housing 16 newborns at the time the emergency began. Only one child was successfully rescued from the ward, while the remaining infants were killed in the blaze.
Hospital officials indicated that the fire started after an air conditioner compressor exploded within the nursery. This initial mechanical failure appears to have been the catalyst for the rapid spread of flames in the confined space.
Firefighters have since extinguished the blaze and are currently conducting cooling operations at the site to prevent re-ignition. The immediate response has contained the fire, but the investigation into the specific conditions leading to the compressor explosion is ongoing.
The incident highlights the reliance on mechanical infrastructure within critical care facilities. While the exact cause of the compressor failure has not yet been independently verified, the initial reports point to a breakdown in equipment maintenance or safety checks.
The death toll is currently reported as at least 15, a figure that may be revised as further information becomes available from hospital authorities and local media sources.
