Fourteen newborns die in fire at Islamabad’s largest state hospital
A fire in the maternity ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences killed 14 newborn babies on August 26, 2026, while one infant was rescued, hospital authorities said.
In short
- A fire in the maternity ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences killed 14 newborn babies on August 26, 2026, while one infant was rescued, hospital authorities said.
Fourteen newborn babies died after a fire swept through a maternity ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, according to the hospital administration.
Fifteen babies were in the ward when the fire began, and one was rescued by a doctor, hospital spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil said. Women who had recently given birth evacuated down several flights of stairs as emergency crews responded.
Islamabad Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf said an emergency call was received shortly before 7 a.m. Rescue and police teams reached the hospital and brought the blaze under control. The institute is Pakistan’s largest state hospital.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said many of the infants had been in incubators or receiving oxygen, and that oxygen cylinders worsened the fire. He suggested an air conditioner may have started the blaze, but investigators had not confirmed the cause. Repair and construction work was under way at the hospital.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an immediate investigation and called for those responsible to be identified. President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed condolences to the families.
The incident is among Pakistan’s deadliest hospital fires in recent years. Building fires occur regularly in the country amid persistent concerns about safety standards and enforcement.
