Fourteen Infants Died in Fire at One of Pakistan's Largest State-Run Hospitals

Author: Eman Butt

August 31, 2026

HRRC condemns the death of the 14 infants in the fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science hospital. We call for an independent, swift, and transparent investigation into the incident and urge the authorities to ensure accountability for any failures identified.

Pakistan Institute of Medical Services (PIMS). [Image Credit: imrankhan/Wikimedia Commons]

On August 26, 14 infants died in a fire at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, one of the largest state-run hospitals in Islamabad, Pakistan. 

According to the BBC, the hospital officials said that an air conditioning unit in the maternity ward caught fire, which was then ignited by the oxygen connections. 

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) fire department stated that the fire emergency was reported at around 6:14 am, with fire brigade and rescue teams responding within seven minutes and were dispatched at 6:55 am. The fire department claimed that a total of 19 victims were evacuated, including seven infants, 10 females, and two males.

However, several eyewitnesses told BBC news that “rescue teams arrived after almost two hours” and that there was “no fire security and no proper exits.” The concerns over fire safety were also reflected in the initial report of CDA claiming that the “hospital’s fire prevention and safety arrangements were inadequate and did not meet prescribed safety standards.” An eyewitness also told the BBC that “there should have been fire extinguishers and protocols, but no one was doing anything - everyone was just running." It was also claimed by the fire department and eyewitnesses that emergency exits were permanently locked from the outside.

However, the executive director of PIMS rejected these claims and said that “the hospital had a satisfactory fire safety system.” He said that there were 24 oxygen cylinders present in the nursery at the time of the incident, and two doctors, four nurses, and other staff members were on duty in the intensive care unit when the fire broke out. A female nurse risked her life to rescue one newborn. 

The Federal Minister for National and Health Services took responsibility While answering questions regarding the emergency gate being closed, the minister said “the passage had been open for movement four or five years ago but was subsequently secured after three newborn babies were stolen from PIMS around three years earlier.”

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, has suspended the Federal Secretary of Health and removed him from his post following the incident. Islamabad's District Magistrate has formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the fire, including the cause and safety measures in place beforehand. The investigation remains ongoing and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The statements of eyewitnesses and the preliminary report of CDA, have raised concerns about possible failures in the hospital’s fire-safety measures.

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Glossary

• Accountability: Being responsible for what you do and able to give a satisfactory reason for it, or the degree to which this happens.

• Capital Development Authority: Established in 1960 and one of the oldest civic organizations in Pakistan; created with the aim to develop and maintain the capital city, Islamabad, and its surrounding areas.

• District Magistrate: Person who oversees law and order and security of the district.

• Fact-finding Committee: A group whose purpose is to  ascertain the exact cause of the fire and examine factors that contributed to its spread.

• Fire-safety measures: Any measure (including any item of equipment, form of construction or fire safety strategy) that could be implemented in a building to ensure the safety of persons using the building in the event of a fire. 

• Maternity ward: A room or set of rooms in a hospital where women are treated before and after they give birth.

• Negligence: Not giving enough care or attention to someone or something.