Story summary
14 newborn babies were killed in a fire that broke out at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, on August 26th. The fire started in an air-conditioning unit on the third floor of the mother and child ward, which was fueled by oxygen being administered to babies in incubators.
According to reports, there were at least 15 newborns in the nursery when the fire broke out, but only one baby was rescued. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal confirmed that 14 babies had died, and said that the cause of the fire was a "blast in the air conditioner" that ignited a blaze.
The hospital's administration has launched an investigation into the incident, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an immediate inquiry. President Asif Ali Zardari also offered condolences to the families of the victims, describing the deaths as "heartbreaking and an irreparable loss".
Witnesses reported that there was a long wait for rescue workers to arrive, and some parents said they were forced to smash through windows to try and get to their babies. The incident has sparked outrage and calls for accountability, with lawmakers demanding reforms in the country's health sector.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, but initial reports suggest that it may have been caused by a technical fault or negligence on the part of hospital staff.
Written for “Fire in Pakistan Hospital” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.
Members of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination said on Thursday that the fire at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), which claimed the lives of 14 infants, may have been caused by a “technical fault”.
uncertain
which → say → fault
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had attributed Wednesday’s incident to a spark in the air conditioner.
asserted
Kamal → attribute → conditioner
But standing committee chairperson Mahesh Kumar Malani told the media in Islamabad on Thursday that “we have to see whether the fire was the result of negligence or a natural cause.
asserted
fire → stand → negligence
It appears that there may have been a technical fault”.
uncertain
It → appear → ?
He added that the source of the fire had yet to be ascertained.
asserted
source → add → fire
“Some said that a spark was caused by an old air conditioner, [but] it had not been working for some time.
asserted
it → say → time
The other two were portable,” he said.
asserted
he → say → ?
Malani said one of the doctors had stated that a spark was caused by a bundle of wires while the nurses said it all happened suddenly.
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it → say → wires
“So no one saw where the spark came from.
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spark → see → where
We have concluded that no one knows the source of the fire,” he said.
asserted
he → conclude → fire
He recalled it was earlier stated that the presence of oxygen caused the fire to spread, adding that it was possible that there was a fault in the oxygen pipes.
asserted
it → recall → pipes
However, “one thing is final, no one knows the source of the fire”, he reiterated, adding that the hospital’s executive director also agreed that the spark had not originated from the air conditioner.
“Nevertheless, there was a fault (somewhere),” Malani continued, suggesting that it could either have been in “oxygen pipes or the electricity wiring”.
uncertain
it → know → pipes
He noted that the nursery where the incident took place was built in 1990 and stressed that there should not have been a nursery in the old building, particularly when there was a newly built block available on the premises.
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incident → note → premises
This was supposed to be a gynae ward, and the babies should have been kept in the new block which was well-equipped,” he said.
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he → suppose → block
Malani told reporters that the standing committee had sought answers from the hospital administration on certain questions.
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committee → tell → questions
“We are calling a committee meeting and will look at the issue on the grounds of merit,” he said, adding that the committee would also study the findings to be presented by a separate inquiry committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz within 24-48 hours.
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committee → call → hours
Standing next to Malani, Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party MNA Gul Asghar Khan said, “We have also asked Pims how often fire drills are carried out in the hospital and when the last drill was conducted.”
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drill → stand → hospital
He added that the committee had also sought information on Pims’ last fire audit as well as human errors which may have led to the incident.
uncertain
which → add → incident
PPP MNA Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro added that the committee had also requested information on the functionality of fire alarms at the hospital.
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committee → add → hospital
Taking note of “conflicting statements” by the staff, she said they suggested that “either there was no one on duty, or if they were on duty, they were somewhere outside”.
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they → take → duty
She demanded that the Pims executive director, as well as the health minister, step down on “moral grounds”.
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director → demand → grounds
Responding to a question, Malani said that “technical experts” should also be consulted in determining the cause of the fire.
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experts → respond → fire
He, too, took note of the conflicting accounts by the staff.
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He → take → staff
“The gynae head told me that there was a bundle of wires in the ward, while someone said there may have been an oxygen cylinder that exploded”, he said, adding, “How could an oxygen cylinder have exploded when there weren’t any?”
uncertain
cylinder → tell → ward
So, the source of the fire was not yet known, he said.
asserted
he → know → fire
Malani said the committee would examine “whether the right person was appointed for the right job” to ascertain any technical faults.
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person → say → faults
Committee member Farakh Khan also spoke on the occasion and raised concerns about whether the nursery had undergone any maintenance over the years.
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nursery → speak → years
“If any maintenance had been carried out, why was an old air conditioner still installed in the room and why was the wiring left exposed?” she questioned, adding that if the administration could not manage the nursery, “they should finish it off”.
uncertain
they → carry → it
Malani then said the committee had sought information on the budget of Pims’ Mother and Child Health Care Centre, and details about “how much of it was utilised”.
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much → say → it
He said details about the number of times the oxygen and electricity systems were examined had specifically been sought.
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systems → say → times
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl MNA Aliya Kamran said when the committee members spoke to the nurses, “it appeared as if they had been told what to say”.
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they → say → what
She said the staff had left the infants unattended as the fire broke out.
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fire → say → infants
“We are also not satisfied with the account the doctor on duty gave us,” she added.
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she → give → us
She claimed there was a “deliberate attempt” to push the narrative that the blaze had originated from the air conditioner.
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blaze → claim → conditioner
Kamran said that the NA committee would call the hospital administration and “question them within our capacity and present a fair opinion”.
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committee → say → opinion
Echoing her fellows’ remarks, Kamran demanded that the health minister resign.
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minister → echo → remarks
“The inquiry team will not be able to maintain transparency if he is in power,” she said and demanded that the on-duty staff be suspended and their medical licences be revoked.
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licences → maintain → duty
On Wednesday, 14 babies died after a fire erupted in Mother and Child Hospital’s ward at Pims.
asserted
fire → die → Pims
At the time, the health minister claimed that the fire began with a spark in the AC, while the bereaved families said the rescue teams arrived too late.
asserted
teams → claim → AC
According to a statement by the hospital, the incident was “initially caused by a spark inside nursery at 06:38am and within seconds a massive fire erupted due to oxygen points at each incubator”.
uncertain
fire → accord → incubator
…and 7 more, not listed.
