Pims Ward Fire Kills 15 Infants, Triggering 24-Hour Inquiry in Islamabad

Q: Why were hospital staff allegedly absent from the nursery during the critical moments the deadly blaze ignited?

There is no confirmed public explanation yet for why staff were allegedly absent. What is established is that rescue sources and parents said no doctors, ward boys or other staff were present in the incubation centre when the fire began, but officials have not verified the reason. The available reporting points instead to a broader failure of preparedness at the PIMS nursery. Rescue sources described missing fire-hose couplings, no water at the fire point, and locked evacuation routes, suggesting systemic safety lapses rather than a single isolated mistake. The fire is reported to have started around 6:45–7:00 a.m. after an air-conditioner compressor or cooling-system fault exploded, and it spread quickly while the electricity also went out, which may have compounded the chaos. Because of these unanswered questions, the district administration sealed the Mother and Child Health ward and formed an inquiry committee led by the additional deputy commissioner. That investigation is expected to determine not only the exact cause of the blaze, but also staffing responsibility, whether duty personnel were missing, and whether negligence or protocol failures left the nursery unattended at the crucial moment. So, at this stage, the staff’s alleged absence remains an allegation under investigation, but the surrounding evidence strongly suggests serious operational and fire-safety failures inside the ward.

3 articles · Updated · thenews.pk · Aug 26

15 infants died after a fire tore through the Pims gynaecology ward nursery in Islamabad around 6:45 a.m.; only one of 16 newborns was rescued.
An exploding air-conditioner compressor or short circuit is being examined as the trigger, with officials saying gas lines, plastic equipment and oxygen helped the blaze spread and power failed immediately.
An eight-member inquiry committee led by the additional deputy commissioner was ordered to report within 24 hours, while the MCH ward was sealed and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called an emergency meeting.
Parents and rescue sources alleged no staff were in the incubation centre when the fire broke out, and cited missing hose couplings, no water at fire points and locked evacuation routes.
The disaster has intensified scrutiny of hospital safety at Pakistan's top federal medical facility and of who will be held responsible for the deaths.