Fourteen infants were killed in a fire that broke out in the gynaecology ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) early on Wednesday.
asserted
that → kill → Wednesday
Footage aired on television showed rescue workers using ladders to reach broken windows to access the affected area.
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workers → air → area
Outside the hospital, an AFP reporter saw a woman in tears and a man clear glass from two broken windows, as security guards stood at the entrance to the medical facility.
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guards → see → facility
Several witnesses, their hands and faces blackened from the smoke, told AFP they waited hours for help from the emergency services.
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they → blacken → services
They were forced to smash through windows to try and get to the neonatal intensive care unit.
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They → force → unit
Others said they came across locked doors and alleged guards prevented those inside the building from leaving as the fire raged.
In a statement, the Islamabad administration said that the fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital’s ward.
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fire → say → ward
It said that rescue teams rushed to the scene, with six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances taking part in the rescue operation.
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vehicles → say → operation
“The fire was immediately brought under control and the children were immediately shifted to the intensive care unit,” it said, adding that 14 children “were completely burnt”.
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children → bring → unit
Pims Spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil told Dawn that 15 babies were in the ward.
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babies → tell → ward
“At least one baby was saved by a doctor,” she said.
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she → save → doctor
She added that six bodies have been handed over to the parents, adding that the remaining would be handed over soon.
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remaining → add → parents
Speaking to Geo News, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that the infants in the ward were either in incubators or on oxygen.
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infants → speak → oxygen
He said the incident occurred at 6:45am due to a “blast in the air conditioner” inside the ward.
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incident → say → ward
He said that the blast caused the fire, which was exacerbated due to the presence of the oxygen tanks.
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which → say → tanks
He confirmed that 14 infants had been killed, adding that law enforcement agencies were on the ground.
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agencies → confirm → ground
‘We ran for our lives’
Malik Israr, whose niece was admitted to the gynae ward, told Dawn that it was unfortunate the nursery was housed in a building in which repair and renovation work was ongoing.
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work → run → which
“After the fire erupted, they told patients to vacate the building.
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they → erupt → building
Women who had just given birth had to rush down the stairs from the second floor,” he said.
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he → give → floor
Khurram Mehmood, 40, told AFP he lost his three-day-old daughter in the blaze and that rescuers took hours to arrive.
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rescuers → tell → hours
“I lost my daughter.
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I → lose → daughter
She was only three days old,” he said.
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he → say → ?
They took everyone out.
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They → take → everyone
We were sitting on the road waiting for help.”
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We → sit → help
He added, “Rescue teams arrived too late.
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teams → add → ?
Police arrived after four hours and said they were here to investigate.
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they → arrive → hours
Babies burnt to death there, but nobody could save them.”
uncertain
nobody → burn → them
Mehmood said the fire erupted at 6am, and rescue and authorities reached at 9am.
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rescue → say → am
“People were helping themselves.”
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People → help → themselves
A mother with black residue from the smoke on her hands stood crying outside the hospital as she held her 10-day-old baby in her arms.
“People were screaming.
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People → stand → arms
We ran for our lives.
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We → run → lives
Thank god my baby is safe,” Shagufta Parveen told AFP.
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Parveen → thank → AFP
“Give me my child,” Javeria, who lost her newborn, said outside the hospital, where ambulances had gathered.
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ambulances → give → hospital
“I want justice.”
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I → want → justice
Mudasir, another parent who also lost his child, said all doors of the ward, except one, were shut and that there was “no fire security” in the ward.
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doors → lose → ward
Pims, established in 1985, is Islamabad’s biggest public sector hospital.
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Pims → establish → 1985
It is one of two of the oldest health facilities in the federal capital and comprises several hospitals and teaching institutes.
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It → comprise → hospitals
Federal health secretary removed
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the incident and directed the relevant authorities to investigate the incident.
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Sharif → remove → incident
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), he expressed deep sorrow and grief at the incident and offered his condolences to the bereaved families.
uncertain
he → accord → families
“Such a situation involving children is unbearable,” the statement quoted him as saying.
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statement → involve → him
“The circumstances that led to the incident should be thoroughly reviewed, those responsible should be identified, and the strictest possible action should be taken,” he said.
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he → lead → incident
…and 46 more, not listed.
The Aporia
