At least 14 babies killed after fire breaks out at maternity ward in Pakistan hospital
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
At least 14 newborn babies died after a fire swept through the nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad. The incident has prompted an immediate investigation ordered by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while families face further distress because DNA testing is needed before the badly burned victims can be formally identified and returned to their parents.
The fire began at about 6.45am on Wednesday and was reportedly linked to an exploding air-conditioning unit, although officials had not confirmed the cause. Around 15 newborns were in the nursery, many in incubators or connected to oxygen equipment; 19 people were rescued, including ten women, seven children and two men, and one baby was reportedly saved by a doctor. A district fact-finding committee was instructed to establish the cause, against a wider backdrop of repeated fatal fires and weak safety enforcement in Pakistan.
- Sources
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- Outlets
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- Left · Centre · Right
- 1 · 1 · 2
In short
- Fourteen newborns died in an Islamabad hospital nursery fire.
- DNA tests are required to identify the victims.
- Authorities ordered an investigation into the cause.
How this story developed
- 2 months ago DNA testing is now required to identify the babies killed in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) nursery in Islamabad, as police say the newborns' bodies were too badly burnt to identify visually.
- 2 months ago DNA testing is now required to identify the newborns killed in a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, as police say the babies' bodies were too badly burnt to identify visually.
- 2 months ago At least 14 newborn babies died after a fire swept through the nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad.
- 2 months ago At least 14 newborn babies have died after a fire tore through the nursery of a maternity ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
- BBC World Door was locked at Pakistan hospital where fire killed 14 babies, witnesses say
- HuffPost More Than A Dozen Infants Killed In Islamabad Hospital Fire
- Daily Mail At least 14 babies killed after fire breaks out at maternity ward in Pakistan hospital
- Fox News At least 14 newborns killed in Pakistan nursery hospital fire
Where outlets differ
Left-leaning outlets 1
Only here: dozen, infants, islamabad
Centre outlets 1
Only here: door, locked, witnesses
Right-leaning outlets 2
- At least 14 babies killed after fire breaks out at maternity ward in Pakistan hospitalDaily Mail
- At least 14 newborns killed in Pakistan nursery hospital fireFox News
Only here: least, breaks, maternity, ward, newborns
Every side used: killed, hospital, fire
Headline columns compared word for word; nothing in them is AI-written.
Explained simply
PIMS (the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences) is one of Islamabad's main public hospitals, and its maternity unit includes a nursery where newborns are cared for shortly after birth. A fire broke out there this week, reportedly caused by an exploding air conditioning unit, sweeping through the nursery ward while it held around 15 babies along with mothers, staff and other patients.
Most of the babies in the nursery at the time died, with only one saved by a doctor who intervened during the blaze; a number of adults and older children were also rescued and treated for injuries. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered a nationwide investigation, reflecting the scale of public concern over how such a fire could happen in a major hospital's maternity ward.
The tragedy has drawn attention to Pakistan's broader record on fire safety, after previous incidents including a warehouse fire that injured dozens of people and a shopping plaza fire in Karachi that killed dozens more within the past couple of years. Because many of the babies' bodies were too severely burnt for visual identification, DNA testing is being used to confirm identities before remains can be returned to families.
Coverage · 4 sources
Bias meters
From 4 rated sources.
- Daily MailRightAt least 14 babies killed after fire breaks out at maternity ward in Pakistan hospital
- BBC WorldCentreDoor was locked at Pakistan hospital where fire killed 14 babies, witnesses say
- HuffPostFar leftMore Than A Dozen Infants Killed In Islamabad Hospital Fire
- Fox NewsFar rightAt least 14 newborns killed in Pakistan nursery hospital fire