The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences has released its initial report on the tragic fire that claimed the lives of 14 newborns in the gynaecology ward. The document provides the first official account of how the disaster unfolded inside the neonatal intensive care unit.
According to the report, the fire began when a nebuliser that measured oxygen levels next to an incubator exploded. The oxygen then ignited, creating thick smoke that travelled through the pipes and entered the infants’ breathing systems. The children died after their oxygen supply was cut off and from the severe burns they suffered. Officials noted that the fire started small but spread with alarming speed.
Video footage examined by the administration also showed a flame coming out of an air conditioner, supporting the sequence of events described in the report. Fifteen newborns were present in the nursery at the time. Only one baby was successfully rescued while the other fourteen lost their lives.
Rescue teams arrived after receiving the alert. Six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances took part in the operation, according to the district administration. However, eyewitnesses told media that the fire brigade and rescue staff reached the hospital a little more than half an hour after the blaze started. Hospital staff had already begun evacuating people from the area by then.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif responded swiftly. He ordered the immediate suspension of Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghori and formed an inquiry committee to investigate the fire. Former interior secretary Shahid Khan was appointed as the chairman of the committee, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The initial findings from PIMS mark an important step in understanding the tragedy. Families continue to wait for a complete and transparent investigation that will bring full accountability and help prevent such a disaster from ever happening again in a public hospital.
