Overview

• The blaze started around 11:20 pm in the Neuro ICU storeroom at SMS Hospital’s trauma centre, with officials citing a likely short circuit that filled the ward with toxic smoke.
• Hospital authorities reported six deaths—two women and four men—while some outlets cited higher tolls, and several survivors remain in critical condition.
• Twenty-four patients were in the two units at the time—11 in the affected ICU and 13 in a nearby semi-ICU—and all were evacuated, though six could not be revived despite resuscitation efforts.
• Fire crews said the ward was choked with smoke on arrival, they broke window panes to attack the flames, and the operation took roughly one to one-and-a-half hours to bring under control.
• Relatives staged protests alleging ignored warnings and inadequate firefighting equipment as the government appointed a panel chaired by Iqbal Khan, with forensic and police investigations in progress.