Fire in Pakistan maternity ward kills 14 children

Fourteen children have died after a fire erupted in the maternity ward of a public hospital in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. The blaze broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health Ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital.

Officials from the Islamabad district office confirmed the fatalities, stating that a total of 14 children died in the incident. The ages of the victims were not immediately released. The statement also did not provide any information regarding the cause of the fire.

Sohail Ashraf, the Islamabad chief commissioner, reported on X that rescue teams, specialists, and police responded immediately and successfully controlled the fire. The emergency call was reportedly made shortly before 7:00 AM local time. Fires in large buildings are a recurring issue in Pakistan, often attributed to inadequate safety regulations, poor building codes, and lax enforcement.

This tragic incident follows a series of deadly fires in Pakistan in recent years. In January, a shopping center fire in Karachi claimed over 65 lives. Another shopping mall fire in Karachi in 2023 resulted in at least 11 deaths. In 2021, at least 16 workers perished in a factory fire in the same city. A devastating fire in 2012 at a garment factory in Baldia Town, Karachi, killed at least 250 laborers, with the building lacking a fire escape.