CDA’s initial report says the fire emergency call was received at 6:54am, while 19 people were rescued from the affected ward.
ISLAMABAD: An initial report on the PIMS Hospital fire in Islamabad has confirmed that 14 newborn babies died in the blaze, while emergency teams rescued 19 people from the affected area, according to authorities.
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) said the fire emergency call was received at 6:54 a.m. Wednesday. Fire and rescue personnel reached the hospital within minutes and launched an operation to contain the blaze and evacuate people from the affected ward. The CDA’s reported response time was six minutes, while the Capital Emergency Service and CDA Fire Department separately said teams reached the hospital within seven minutes.
According to the initial rescue figures, 19 people were evacuated from the area, including seven children, 10 women and two men. The figures refer to people rescued during the emergency operation and are separate from the 14 newborns who died in the fire.
The fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). Officials said the blaze was brought under control and rescued patients were shifted for medical treatment.
Reports from hospital officials indicate that one newborn was rescued from the affected nursery, while 14 newborns died in the incident. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been conclusively established, with authorities launching an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The Islamabad administration has constituted a fact-finding committee headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner General to investigate the incident, assess the hospital’s fire-safety arrangements and examine the response of emergency teams.
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