Fire in hospital kills 14 newborns in Pakistan’s capital

Fourteen newborn babies perished in a devastating fire that swept through a hospital nursery in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Wednesday. The blaze, believed to have been triggered by an exploding air conditioner, tragically claimed the lives of all but one infant in the nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

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I don’t know what to say or whom to blame. I have lost my child.

Rescue workers were seen using ladders to access the third-floor nursery through broken windows. Amidst the chaos, distraught parents and relatives gathered outside the hospital, their grief palpable as some wept and others urgently sought explanations regarding the fire's origin and the adequacy of the nursery's safety equipment.

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A tragedy involving children is an irreparable loss.

In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an investigation and directed the removal of Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri from his post. The government has appointed a fact-finding committee to report within 24 hours on the fire's cause, spread, fire-safety measures, and the emergency response. President Asif Ali Zardari also extended condolences and called for accountability and improved hospital safety protocols.

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heartbreaking and an irreparable loss.