Fourteen Newborn Babies Burned Alive in Pakistan Hospital Nursery After Air Conditioner Explodes

Fourteen newborn babies died after a fire ripped through a nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, triggering an urgent investigation into fire safety, evacuation procedures and allegations that families struggled to reach babies trapped inside.

The Pakistan hospital nursery fire broke out early Wednesday in the Mother and Child Hospital's nursery on the third floor. PIMS spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil initially told local media that 15 babies were in the ward and that one had been rescued alive by a doctor.

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said CCTV footage showed what appeared to be an electrical spark or blast associated with the ward's cooling system, followed by a fire that rapidly spread through the nursery.

Other initial findings have since pointed to oxygen equipment near an incubator, leaving investigators to determine the precise sequence of events.

Families Describe Chaos

The most troubling allegations concern what happened once the fire began. Relatives and witnesses said thick black smoke filled the ward and that people tried to reach those inside by breaking windows.

Rescuers were also seen using ladders to reach the nursery through shattered windows. Some families and witnesses raised questions about whether access points were locked or blocked during the emergency.

That claim remains under investigation. Kamal said access to the ward had been restricted and guarded because of previous incidents involving attempts to steal newborn babies.

Investigators have been tasked with examining access to the ward, including reports concerning closed doors, as part of the wider inquiry into the emergency response.

That makes the question crucial: could rescuers and hospital staff reach the nursery quickly enough when the fire broke out?

A Rescue Timeline in Dispute

The Pakistan hospital fire has also produced different accounts of the emergency response.

Several witnesses told reporters that they waited for help and attempted to rescue people themselves. Jaweria, who said she lost her newborn, was among grieving parents demanding answers outside the hospital. Witness accounts described heavy smoke and confusion as the fire spread.

Officials have disputed suggestions that rescue services were slow. The Capital Development Authority said the emergency was reported at around 6:45 a.m. and that fire and rescue teams reached the scene within seven minutes. Six fire engines and four ambulances were reportedly deployed.

Investigators are now examining CCTV footage, the timing of the emergency call, the arrival of rescuers and the actions of hospital staff.

What Started the Fire?

Conflicting preliminary accounts have emerged over the exact source of the blaze. Kamal initially said the fire appeared to have been triggered by an air-conditioning unit or electrical fault and was intensified by the oxygen-rich environment inside the nursery.

Reuters reported that high oxygen levels contributed to the rapid spread of the flames. However, an initial PIMS report released later Wednesday said a nebuliser indicating the quantity of oxygen beside an incubator exploded.

According to that report, oxygen then ignited and smoke entered infants' breathing systems through pipes. The definitive cause, however, is still being investigated.

That distinction matters. Investigators must establish not only what ignited the fire but why it spread so rapidly through a hospital nursery containing medically vulnerable newborns.

Fire Safety Under Scrutiny

The PIMS hospital fire has also revived concerns about safety standards at one of Islamabad's largest public hospitals.

Authorities have ordered investigators to determine whether adequate fire-safety equipment was available and functioning and to assess the hospital's emergency response.

The inquiry will also examine how the blaze spread, emergency access to the nursery and whether staff and rescue services responded appropriately. For newborns dependent on medical equipment, oxygen and incubators, the ability to evacuate quickly is especially critical.

Government Orders Accountability

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an immediate investigation and suspended Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri, while authorities established a fact-finding committee to investigate the cause of the blaze, fire-safety arrangements and the emergency response.

Kamal has said those responsible for negligence would face action, while the government moved to establish how such a deadly fire could occur inside one of the capital's major public hospitals.

President Asif Ali Zardari also called for responsibility to be established and for hospitals to strengthen fire-safety and emergency arrangements.

The Questions Families Need Answered

The tragedy has left investigators with a series of urgent questions. Were emergency exits and access points clear? When exactly was the emergency call made? How quickly did rescuers reach the nursery? What equipment first ignited? Did oxygen intensify the blaze? And were the ward's fire-safety systems adequate and functioning?

Those questions now sit at the centre of the official investigation. The inquiry must establish what happened inside the PIMS nursery in those crucial minutes and whether failures in equipment, fire precautions or the emergency response contributed to the deaths of 14 newborns.