PIMS fire: Initial report finds staff negligence, major safety failures

An interim report by the Prime Minister's investigative committee has found officers and staff at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) negligent in the deadly fire that claimed 14 infants' lives. The initial findings, based on over 30 interviews, revealed significant safety failures.

According to the report, rescue teams faced major obstacles, including locked doors, a lack of on-site technical staff, and inadequate fire-fighting equipment, forcing them to break down walls to enter the nursery. It also determined that hospital staff were not trained to handle such emergencies.

The committee, which was given 48 hours for its initial probe, is expected to submit a detailed report within five days. In separate developments, a petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court seeking the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the tragedy. The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Health has demanded the suspension of on-duty staff and the resignation of the Health Minister. Meanwhile, PIMS administration has initiated its own internal inquiry.

An interim report prepared by the Prime Minister's investigative committee on the PIMS hospital fire has been completed, according to reports on August 28. Initial details suggest the report highlights major failures and confirms that safety measures at the facility were incomplete.

The committee was formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to investigate the blaze that killed 14 newborn infants.

Further details emerging from the investigation into the tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) indicate the hospital did not possess a valid Fire Safety No-Objection Certificate (NOC), confirming earlier allegations of major safety lapses.

Meanwhile, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has addressed the matter, urging the public and media to “wait for the investigation report” before drawing conclusions. Multiple inquiries into the incident, which claimed the lives of 14 newborn infants, are currently underway.

Further details emerging from the PIMS hospital fire tragedy suggest the nursery may have been far more crowded than initially believed. Dr. Shazia Sobia, a member of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Health, stated that during a visit she was informed that 40 to 50 infants were present in the nursery, not 15.

Meanwhile, multiple inquiries are now underway. An interim report into the fire is expected to be released today, August 28, and a new safety committee has been formed. The Senate has also announced its own investigation into the incident.

The bodies of the 14 infants who died in the blaze have been handed over to their families and laid to rest. In the aftermath, vigils are being held at the hospital's entrances. Activist Mushaal Mullick, wife of Yasin Malik, staged a sit-in protest outside the children's ward, calling the incident a result of human negligence and demanding the health minister's resignation. Separately, former Advocate General of Islamabad, Jahangir Jadoon, has called for the formation of a judicial commission to ensure a complete inquiry.

More than 39 hours after a deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) claimed the lives of 14 infants, the exact cause of the blaze remains undetermined, according to emerging reports. This contradicts earlier statements from officials who had attributed the fire to a spark from an air-conditioning unit in the nursery. The conflicting information adds to the uncertainty surrounding the tragic incident.

Following the deadly fire in its nursery, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has started referring serious gynaecological cases to Polyclinic and other hospitals in Rawalpindi. A senior gynaecologist at the hospital stated that the measure was temporary while the nursery is renovated.

Meanwhile, the newly-appointed Federal Health Secretary, Mohammad Mehmood, announced he would begin working from his office at PIMS to directly oversee operations and understand the hospital's problems. He stated his goal was to improve infrastructure and governance.

Separately, PPPP Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari called the incident a result of “serious negligence” and demanded a transparent inquiry. He said the parents of the deceased children must be included in the investigation and questioned the presence of gas cylinders in hospital wards.

The death toll in the fire at Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has been confirmed as 14 newborn infants. Nineteen other people, including seven children, were rescued from the blaze.

Health Minister Mustafa Kamal stated that CCTV footage showed a “spark from the air conditioner fell, and the fire spread within a minute.” He confirmed that while 26 fire extinguishers were used, the ward was not equipped with water sprinklers.

Witnesses have described chaotic scenes, with some alleging that the door to the neonatal intensive care unit was locked and that hospital guards initially prevented people from leaving the building. One father who lost his three-day-old daughter told reporters that rescue teams took hours to arrive.

The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has rejected the government's fact-finding committee, describing the incident as a “devastating failure of governance.” The party has demanded accountability at the highest levels and called for compensation to be increased to Rs10 million for each affected family.

Further reports on the PIMS hospital fire have revised the death toll to 15 newborn infants. The blaze reportedly began at 6:45 AM on Wednesday after an air-conditioning compressor exploded in the nursery.

According to available information, 16 newborns were in the room at the time of the fire. One infant was carried out to safety by a doctor who was present.

The incident has drawn comparisons to a fire at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital in June 2024, which also killed 11 newborns and was reportedly triggered by an air-conditioning failure.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the formation of a new investigation committee to probe the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, according to reports on August 27.

The move comes amid intense scrutiny of the hospital's safety protocols, with some reports alleging that the facility did not have a valid Fire Safety No-Objection Certificate (NOC).

The tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of 14 newborn infants, continues to generate widespread public anger and calls for accountability from political leaders and the victims' families.

The investigation into the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has reportedly yielded initial findings on how the blaze started, according to an investigative committee. The development comes amid growing political fallout and public anger over the deaths of 14 newborn infants.

Protests have taken place outside the hospital, where reports indicate Mishal Malik, wife of Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik, was prevented from entering the children's ward. Meanwhile, a political debate has ignited over an alleged suppressed report. PML-N Senator Afnan Ullah claimed a report by a "Dr. Amjad" was suppressed, a claim that Federal Minister Mustafa Kamal said he had no knowledge of, clarifying that there is only one official inquiry committee formed by the prime minister.

Political leaders from various parties, including the PTI, PPP, and Jamaat-e-Islami, have called for an impartial investigation and accountability. Questions have also been raised about the hospital's funding, with some reports questioning the use of Rs 22 billion allocated to PIMS over the past three years.

The federal government has announced a compensation package of Rs 5 million for the family of each of the 14 newborn infants who died in the fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated on Thursday that an interim report from the Prime Minister's investigative committee will be submitted within 48 hours. He said the independent committee is reviewing CCTV footage and technical aspects of the incident, and that the report would clarify many details.

Reports also indicate the Prime Minister has set a five-day deadline for the completion of the investigation into the tragedy.

Following the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), the hospital has reportedly stopped admitting new maternity cases. The development comes as a member of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Health, Dr. Shazia Sobia, claimed that 40 to 50 infants were present in the nursery at the time of the incident, not 15 as previously stated. She also questioned how the bodies of the deceased infants were handed over to families without DNA testing.

Meanwhile, the Senate's Standing Committee on Health has summoned a meeting at the hospital for August 31, with the Ministry of Health, CDA, and Civil Defence officials also called to attend. PTI members of the committee have also been requested to participate.

The Prime Minister's investigative committee has reportedly taken custody of CCTV footage and is collecting written statements from staff, with an interim report expected within 48 hours. In a television appearance, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal evaded direct questions about his potential resignation.

Investigations into the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) have intensified, with several committees visiting the site on Thursday, August 27. The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Health and a separate inquiry committee formed by the Prime Minister both inspected the hospital's nursery where the tragedy occurred.

This comes amid reports alleging that a warning about the hospital's deteriorating condition had been issued two weeks prior to the fire. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has stated that an inquiry report is expected to be released on Friday.

The political response has also broadened, with the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issuing a strong statement on the matter. Meanwhile, reports indicated disagreements between the PPP and PML-N in the Senate regarding the formation of multiple investigative committees.

The deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) that killed 14 infants has reached Parliament, with lawmakers from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) submitting notices in both the National Assembly and the Senate on Thursday.

PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman submitted an adjournment motion in the Senate, calling for routine proceedings to be suspended to allow for a detailed debate. She described the loss of newborn lives as a matter of grave public concern, stating that the "failure of essential safety arrangements at the capital’s central government hospital is unacceptable."

Separately, PPP MNAs Dr Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto, Sehar Kamran, and Shazia Marri submitted calling-attention notices in the National Assembly, seeking an immediate and comprehensive investigation. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has also demanded an impartial probe into the tragedy.

Meanwhile, reports indicate the main inquiry committee has been reshuffled, with Professor Dr. Atif appointed as its new chairman. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has also hinted at the possibility of forming another committee to investigate the incident.

Further details emerging from the tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) reveal that one of the 14 infant victims was a two-month-old boy who had been unclaimed at the hospital since his birth.

According to hospital sources, the baby was born on June 21 to a young mother who, along with her family, allegedly left the infant at the hospital after failing to provide marriage documentation. Staff had reportedly named the child 'Ali', and his body remains in the mortuary awaiting legal heirs.

The incident has also exposed a severe staffing crisis across Islamabad's public healthcare system. Official figures show 1,659 medical posts are currently vacant in the capital's government hospitals. PIMS, the city's largest public hospital, is the worst affected, with 949 of its 2,451 sanctioned positions unfilled. The vacancies include 385 doctors, 363 nurses, and 201 paramedical staff.

In response to the tragedy, civil society groups have held protests outside the hospital demanding accountability. Meanwhile, reports indicate that at least three separate inquiry committees have been formed to investigate the incident and determine responsibility. The newly appointed federal health secretary is also reported to be personally overseeing the situation at the hospital.