‘Give Me My Child Back’: Grief, Fury After Pakistan Hospital Fire Kills 14 Newborns

‘Give Me My Child Back’: Grief, Fury After Pakistan Hospital Fire Kills 14 Newborns

It was just after dawn on Wednesday morning at the maternity ward of Pakistan’s largest public hospital when a horrific blaze erupted, turning a place of new beginnings into a scene of unimaginable tragedy. Within hours, 14 newborn infants were dead, and anguished parents were demanding answers. The fire broke out around 6:00 a.m. local time on August 26, 2026, at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad. The blaze originated in an air-conditioning unit on the third floor of the mother and child unit, but officials have since confirmed it was exacerbated by nearby oxygen cylinders, which caused rapid and ferocious spread of the flames. The victims were infants just days or hours old, many in incubators or reliant on oxygen support. Only one of the 15 babies in the ward survived and was transferred to intensive care.

Hivsa Walid was at the hospital with her sister-in-law, who had given birth just days earlier. She initially heard a shout and thought a patient had died — but then she saw smoke. “We didn’t even think about our belongings. We just grabbed the baby and rushed downstairs. Some patients had delivered their babies just that night. I don’t even know how we managed to get down — it was all a blur.” Abdul Ghafoor, another witness, described the desperate scenes outside the building. He tried to enter to rescue patients but could not reach the maternity ward. “There was thick black smoke inside and patients were trapped. Rescue teams arrived after almost two hours.” He added that bystanders had to “break the door down” and rescue teams were forced to smash windows to control the flames.

Perhaps the most devastating accusation to emerge from the tragedy is the claim that the ward’s door was locked at the time of the fire. Jaweria, a mother who lost her baby in the blaze, told AFP news agency: “For two hours I kept crying and wailing. Police arrived after four hours and said they are here to investigate. To hell with you, rescue team and police. Babies burnt to death there, but nobody could save them.” Khurram Mehmood, 40, who lost his three-day-old daughter, also expressed fury at the delayed response: “The fire erupted at 6:00 am, rescue and authorities reached at 9:00 am, people were helping themselves… I lost my daughter. She was only three days old.”

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Rana Imran Sikander, the hospital’s executive director, has strongly contested the locked-door claims. He told the BBC that the ward’s door was not locked but was manned, citing the need to protect babies from being stolen — a concern that has arisen previously at government hospitals. However, the father of another baby who died told Reuters that the building had serious structural flaws: “No fire security, no proper exits. All doors were closed, only one door was for us to visit our children. They kept the other doors locked because they feared we would come to see our children too often.” Walid, who escaped with her sister-in-law’s baby, also suggested that safety protocols at PIMS were inadequate: “There should have been fire extinguishers and protocols, but no one was doing anything — everyone was just running.”

The tragedy has prompted swift action from Pakistan’s highest authorities. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed “deep sorrow and heartfelt regret” over the loss of life, calling it “irreparable” and “heartbreaking”. He ordered an immediate investigation and subsequently suspended Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri, one of the country’s top health officials. President Asif Ali Zardari also released a statement, describing the deaths as “heartbreaking” and an “irreparable loss”.

A formal inquiry committee has been constituted to investigate the tragedy. According to a notification from the Prime Minister’s Office, committee members include Shahid Khan (retired Federal Secretary) as Chairperson, along with Major General (retd) Dr. Khursheed Uttra, Dr. Barrister Nabeel Ahmed Awan, and the Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad. The committee has been given strict deadlines: it must submit an interim report within 48 hours and a comprehensive report with recommendations within five days. Its terms of reference include determining the exact cause of the fire, reviewing the hospital’s emergency response, assessing fire safety infrastructure at PIMS, identifying individuals responsible for negligence, and recommending measures to prevent future tragedies.

The PIMS tragedy is not an isolated incident. Pakistan has witnessed several major fires in recent years, with poor safety laws, inadequate building codes, and lax enforcement often blamed for high death tolls. In January 2026, a fire at a Karachi shopping mall killed dozens. Survivors of that blaze also reported that locked exits contributed to the fatalities — a chilling parallel to the current tragedy.

The fallout from the PIMS fire has already prompted broader safety reviews across the country. The Punjab Healthcare Commission has issued urgent directives for the effective implementation of fire safety measures in hospitals across Punjab province. It has called for regular emergency drills, functional firefighting equipment, and trained personnel at all healthcare facilities. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered a 24-hour safety audit of all public hospitals in the province. Instructions have been given to check fire safety systems, emergency exits, firefighting equipment, and staff preparedness.

The 14 infants who perished in the fire were among Pakistan’s most vulnerable citizens — newborns who had just entered the world and were receiving medical care for their earliest days of life. Their names have not been publicly released, but their grieving families have spoken of babies who were only days or hours old. One father, still in shock, told reporters: “She was only three days old. We brought her here for care. We never imagined we would be taking her home in a coffin.”

The 48-hour interim report from the inquiry committee is expected to provide preliminary findings on the cause of the fire and the immediate circumstances surrounding it. The final report, due within five days, will offer a fuller picture and recommendations. For the families of the victims, however, no report can bring back their children. Their grief is compounded by anger — at the delay in rescue, at the alleged locked door, and at a system they believe failed the most innocent lives. The Pakistani government is now under immense pressure to ensure accountability and to implement lasting safety reforms across the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

‘Give Me My Child Back’: Grief, Fury After Pakistan Hospital Fire Kills 14 Newborns