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.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Friday vowed that “no one will be spared” while talking about the fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) that claimed the lives of 14 infants, adding that the country’s health sector needed to be reformed.
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sector → vow → infants
Speaking in the Senate, Kamal said: “No one intends to spare or save anyone.
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one → speak → anyone
I am saying this on behalf of the prime minister and the entire government that not a single person will be spared”.
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person → say → minister
He said that the tragedy cannot be an “episode lasting merely a few days,” as he called for accountability and for efforts to prevent such incidents in the future.
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he → say → future
The minister warned against “suppressing the issue” and invited the House to work towards a way forward.
“Look at your resources, management and actions and then involve everyone to suggest a way forward,” he said, assuring that the government will support such an approach.
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government → warn → approach
The ministry is nothing; we cannot ruin our afterlife for these ministries,” he remarked.
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he → ruin → ministries
At the outset of his address, the minister expressed sorrow at the lives lost in the incident.
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minister → express → incident
I am holding myself responsible, and I have presented myself to be held accountable.”
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I → hold → myself
He called for a holistic approach toward investigating the incident, urging that any committee formed to probe should not be “time-bound and should remain open”.
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committee → call → incident
“When you go investigate this incident, you will find so many things associated with it,” he said, pointing to a larger “rot” within the sector.
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he → go → sector
Kamal held that the health sector was not “ideal”.
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sector → hold → ?
“Four hundred thousand children between the ages of one and five die every year, 1,300 die every day; they are all dying preventable deaths,” he said.
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he → die → deaths
He continued: “It is not possible to bring back the infants who died at Pims, but let us look at it as a test from God and prevent the next kid from dying.”
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us → continue → kid
Kamal maintained that there was “no point” in making speeches if the government failed to learn from the incident.
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government → maintain → incident
“Start from me,” Kamal said, offering himself up for accountability.
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Kamal → start → accountability
I am putting the entire ministry at your disposal; every person will be answerable to you,” he said.
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he → put → you
He noted that the system was “rotten” and went on to say: “Where do I find a better person after removing an incompetent one?”
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I → note → one
Kamal said that when the day ended, “1,300 children would have died across the country”.
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children → say → country
Speaking about the inquiry committee’s report on the incident, which he said would be presented by tonight, Kamal assured the House: “If you don’t trust it, fair enough [..] we will listen to you.”
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we → speak → you
The health minister once again reassured the House that, “No one will be spared, no matter how influential they are”.
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they → reassure → House
“We have to come up with a solution, and I am inviting you to guide us and [..] give us a strategic roadmap,” he said.
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he → have → roadmap
Kamal said that the health ministry would provide all the relevant input and information.
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ministry → say → input
“Sit with us and find a way forward on how to prevent the next child from dying due to negligence within the resources that we have.
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we → sit → that
I assure you of its implementation”.
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I → assure → implementation
However, he added that if matters were to move in that direction, “no MNA should call and ask why a certain doctor was removed”.
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doctor → add → direction
Calling for “radical reforms” in the health sector, Kamal urged that the Pims fire “can serve as a basis for how we can prevent more children from dying”.
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we → call → children
The minister further stated that he was “withholding his information” on the fire until the committee’s report.
“
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he → state → report
If you are dissatisfied (with the report), then form a committee, and everyone stands ready to be held accountable”.
Concluding his address, Kamal urged that the “issue should be only closed at a point where we can prevent similar incidents in the future”.
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we → form → future
“I am willing to sit here all night and listen,” he added.
NA passes resolution for inquiry into fire
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NA → sit → fire
Meanwhile, the National Assembly unanimously approved a resolution, calling for an impartial inquiry into the incident and expressing condolences to the affected families.
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Assembly → approve → families
Through the resolution, a copy of which is available with Dawn, lawmakers expressed “profound grief and sorrow” over the incident, strongly condemned it.
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lawmakers → express → it
They raised alarm at the circumstances surrounding the fire, with the resolution stating that the circumstances were a result of “sheer negligence”.
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circumstances → raise → negligence
It called upon the government to “take strict action against anyone responsible for negligence or safety lapses in accordance with the law”.
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It → call → law
Lawmakers also called on the government to ensure that fire safety and emergency preparedness measures were strictly implemented in federal government hospitals, particularly in neonatal and paediatric units, to prevent such incidents in the future.
“The House […] extends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prays for strength and fortitude for them in this hour of profound grief,” the resolution added.
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resolution → call → grief
Rs5m compensation announced for affected families
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compensation → announce → families
Earlier in the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry announced Rs5 million compensation for each family affected by the fire.
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Chaudhry → announce → fire
Recalling Wednesday’s incident while speaking to the media at Pims, Chaudhry lamented that 14 infants had fallen victim to “someone’s criminal negligence”.
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infants → recall → negligence
He added that the prime minister had constituted an inquiry committee that was expected to present its report today, assuring that all those “on-duty individuals found guilty of negligence will be given exemplary punishment”.
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individuals → add → punishment
The minister said the grief of the affected families could not be compensated for.
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grief → say → families
“Neither can their children be brought back, nor can their grief be reduced,” he added.
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he → bring → ?
…and 13 more, not listed.
