Overview
- A fast-moving fire tore through the third-floor Mother and Child neonatal ward at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on Wednesday, killing 14 of the 15 newborns inside and leaving one infant rescued.
- Investigators have not settled on a cause and have recorded conflicting accounts that point to an air‑conditioner spark, a nebuliser or oxygen device malfunction, an electrical short in wiring, or a fault in the oxygen pipeline.
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspended the federal health secretary and formed a PM‑led inquiry under retired secretary Shahid Khan that has taken statements, seized CCTV and must deliver an interim report within 48 hours.
- Eyewitness and fire‑brigade accounts raise major safety concerns, saying emergency exits were closed, evacuation routes obstructed and staff response was limited while oxygen in the ward likely accelerated the blaze and harmed infants by smoke inhalation and oxygen disruption.
- Governments announced Rs5 million for each bereaved family, provincial health bodies ordered immediate fire‑safety audits and mandatory drills at hospitals, and the tragedy has renewed scrutiny of chronic infrastructure and safety lapses across Pakistan’s public health system.