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Doors 'closed' at Pakistan hospital where fire killed 14 babies, witness says
🇦🇺 Australia /Health & Science

Doors 'closed' at Pakistan hospital where fire killed 14 babies, witness says

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad killed 14 infants in the mother and child health ward.
  • Witnesses claim that doors to the ward, including the neonatal intensive care unit, were closed or locked, hindering escape and rescue efforts.
  • Hospital officials stated the fire was caused by a spark from an air conditioner, and while fire extinguishers were used, the ward lacked water sprinklers.

Islamabad, Pakistan – Funerals are being held for 14 infants who perished in a devastating fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital. A witness has alleged that exits at the facility were "closed," potentially trapping the young victims.

All doors were closed, only one door was [open] for us to visit our children

— MudasirA witness describes the alleged lack of accessible exits during the hospital fire.

The blaze erupted shortly before 7 a.m. local time on Wednesday in the mother and child health ward, located on the third floor. Mudasir, who lost his child in the tragedy, told Reuters that the building lacked adequate fire security and proper exits. "All doors were closed, only one door was [open] for us to visit our children," he stated.

Another parent, Jaweria, reported that the door to the neonatal intensive care unit was locked. She expressed disbelief and anguish, questioning why doctors left the children unattended. Rana Imran Sikander, the hospital's executive director, countered that the ward door was not locked but manned, citing the need to prevent infant theft, an issue that has occurred previously at government hospitals.

I do not believe this. Give me my child back … why did the doctors leave the children there?

— JaweriaA mother expresses her grief and confusion following the fire.

Mustafa Kamal, the health minister, informed reporters that CCTV footage indicated a spark from an air conditioner ignited the fire, which spread rapidly. He confirmed that 26 fire extinguishers were deployed, but the ward was not equipped with water sprinklers. Nineteen people, including seven children, were rescued from the incident.

the building that housed the ward "had no fire security, no proper exits

— MudasirA witness details the alleged inadequate safety measures at the hospital ward.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with intense smoke and broken glass. They reported a slow response from emergency services and alleged that guards prevented people from leaving. Khurram Mehmood, who lost his three-day-old daughter, stated that rescuers took hours to arrive. Abdul Ghafoor recounted entering the hospital to save patients but being unable to reach the maternity ward due to the rapid spread of fire and thick smoke, which trapped patients. He noted that rescue teams arrived nearly two hours after the fire began.

spark from the air conditioner fell, and the fire spread within a minute

— Mustafa KamalThe health minister explains the suspected cause of the fire based on CCTV footage.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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