Investigation Underway After Tragic Hospital Fire in Islamabad

Aug 27, 2026

68 min

Aug 27, 2026 06:30

Pakistani investigators visit hospital nursery where fire killed 14 newborns

## Tragic Incident in Islamabad

A devastating fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad claimed the lives of 14 newborns. The blaze, which occurred early Wednesday, was confined to the nursery on the third floor. Despite the efforts of two doctors and two nurses, only one infant was rescued from the 15 present.

## Investigation and Response

Following the tragedy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed a committee led by retired federal secretary Shahid Khan to investigate the incident. The committee is tasked with gathering statements from hospital staff, witnesses, and families to determine the cause of the fire. Initial reports suggested an air-conditioning unit explosion, but a preliminary hospital report indicated a nebulizer blast as the potential cause.

## Safety Measures and Reactions

The incident has prompted a review of fire-safety protocols across hospitals in Pakistan. In Punjab, the Health Department has been instructed to assess fire-safety systems and emergency-response facilities. The Health Secretary, Aslam Ghauri, was dismissed following the incident.

## Community and International Reactions

The tragedy has left families grieving and demanding answers about the adequacy of safety measures in the nursery. UNICEF expressed its condolences and called for urgent improvements in fire-prevention standards at health facilities. This incident is one of the deadliest involving children in Pakistan, following a similar tragedy in Lahore where 14 schoolchildren died in June.

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