Published August 26th, 2026 - 05:55 GMT
ALBAWABA - At least 14 children, mostly newborn babies, were killed in a fire that broke out at the gynecology ward of the largest hospital in Islamabad, the Pakistani police told CNN.The fire started in a nursery for newborns at the Pakistan Institute for Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad when an air conditioning compressor exploded, causing a blaze that expanded and killed 14 infants, the sources revealed Wednesday. Only one child was rescued from the fire, according to the hospital authorities, while several other babies are in critical condition.Islamabad’s Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf said an emergency fire call was made just before 7 a.m. local time on Aug. 26, adding that rescue teams and firefighters rushed to the scene.The fire was brought under control, according to a statement made by Islamabad’s Chief Commissioner via X. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) wrote, "Six fire brigade units and four ambulances were deployed. The fire was brought under control promptly. Rescued children were shifted to the ICU for immediate treatment."The post added, "The exact figures of casualties and injuries are being verified by the AC, SP and Rescue Teams along with hospital administration.""A committee headed by the ADCG, ICT, has also been constituted to investigate the cause of the fire, assess the rescue response and examine the effectiveness of fire-safety measures at the hospital."
