Fifteen newborn babies have died after a fire broke out in the nursery of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), one of Pakistan's largest public hospitals, in the federal capital Islamabad.

By AALIMI NATION | International Desk|Syed Umer Gardezi

The tragedy has sparked widespread grief and anger, with serious questions being raised over the hospital's fire-safety arrangements, emergency response and the circumstances that allowed the blaze to become fatal.

According to rescue authorities, the fire has been brought under control and cooling operations were under way. Initial information indicated that the blaze may have started after an air-conditioner compressor exploded.

Hospital authorities said 16 newborns were present in the nursery when the fire broke out.

A doctor on duty was reportedly able to rescue only one baby, while the remaining 15 died. Rescue officials said many of the infants suffered severe burns.

The fire reportedly broke out on the third floor of the MCH ward. Rescue and fire-service teams were dispatched after the emergency was reported.

Six fire engines and four ambulances were involved in the rescue operation, according to district authorities.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the deaths and described the loss of the newborns as an irreparable tragedy.

He said the grief of the affected families was shared by the entire country and ordered a transparent investigation into the incident.

The district administration has formed an inquiry committee headed by an Additional Deputy Commissioner to establish the cause of the fire and determine whether anyone was responsible.

Authorities have said that those found responsible will face legal action.

The deaths have raised broader concerns about fire prevention and emergency preparedness in Pakistan's public hospitals.

The incident has prompted questions about whether the nursery had adequate fire-detection and suppression systems, emergency exits, evacuation procedures and equipment capable of protecting critically vulnerable newborns.

For families whose babies were receiving treatment, the tragedy has also raised questions about whether adequate safeguards were in place to protect patients who could not be evacuated independently.

Relatives have reportedly called for a high-level judicial inquiry and accountability for those responsible.

The PIMS fire has renewed attention on the importance of safety standards in hospitals, particularly neonatal and intensive-care units where patients depend entirely on medical staff and emergency systems.

A hospital nursery is among the most challenging environments for emergency evacuation because newborns may require ventilators, incubators, oxygen and continuous medical monitoring.

Any failure in fire prevention, electrical maintenance or evacuation planning can therefore have catastrophic consequences.

The inquiry will now be expected to establish how the fire began, how quickly it spread, whether safety systems functioned properly and whether the evacuation response was adequate.

The loss of 15 newborn lives has turned what may have begun as an equipment failure into a national question about institutional responsibility.

A transparent investigation will be essential not only to determine who, if anyone, was responsible, but also to establish whether similar tragedies can be prevented in hospitals across Pakistan.

The immediate priority is to establish the facts, protect the affected families and ensure that accountability does not end with an inquiry report.

— AALIMI NATION | International Desk