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A horrific blaze erupted in the maternity ward of PIMS hospital in Islamabad just after dawn on Wednesday morning, resulting in the tragic deaths of 14 infants. Witnesses reported that parents waited hours for help to arrive as the fire broke out from an air-conditioning unit on the third floor of the mother and child unit.
Hivsa Walid, who was present at the scene, described the chaos as she and her sister-in-law fled with a newborn baby. "We just grabbed the baby and rushed downstairs," she recounted. The fire claimed the lives of nearly all the babies present, with only one infant being rescued.
Parents expressed their outrage over the delayed response from rescue workers, with some stating that the door to the maternity ward was locked. One mother cried out in despair, saying, "I kept crying and wailing for two hours." The hospital's executive director claimed the door was manned to prevent baby theft, but many witnesses criticized the hospital's safety protocols, stating that there were no fire extinguishers or proper exits available. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered an immediate investigation into the incident.