At least 14 infants were killed in a fire at a state-run hospital in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said. Local media blamed the tragedy on a fault in the hospital’s air-conditioning system.
The fire broke out at around 7 a.m. (0200 GMT) on the third floor of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), in the hospital’s mother and child health ward, broadcaster Geo TV reported. The broadcaster put the death toll at 15.
“Give me my child,” Javeria, who lost her newborn, said outside the hospital, where ambulances had gathered. “I want justice.”
The incident is among the deadliest hospital fires reported in Pakistan in recent years. Government healthcare in the country is subsidised, but many public facilities remain under-resourced and overcrowded, while state-run hospitals have frequently faced criticism over poor management.
Geo reported that 16 newborns were in the ward when the fire broke out, with one child rescued. Sharif’s office said the prime minister had ordered authorities to launch an immediate investigation into the incident.
The affected ward was cordoned off, according to an eye witness.
READ ALSO: Iran, Pakistan Discuss Conflict Progress In Tehran
Mudasir, another parent who lost his child, said all but one of the ward’s doors were shut and that there was “no fire security” in the ward. Both Javeria and Mudasir gave only their first names.
There was no immediate comment from PIMS or government authorities regarding the incident.
PIMS is one of Islamabad’s main public hospitals and is centrally located in the city, which has a population of about 1.1 million. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was briefly treated at the facility last week.
