At least 15 newborn babies were killed early on Wednesday morning after a fire broke out in the gynaecology and nursery ward of a major public hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, in what is being described as one of the deadliest hospital fires in the country's history. The blaze started at around 6:45am local time on the third floor of the Mother and Child Centre at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital — the largest public hospital in the federal capital. Of the 15 or 16 infants in the ward at the time, only one was saved, pulled to safety by a doctor before firefighters brought the flames under control. Six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances responded to the scene, with the surviving infant transferred to intensive care.

Officials and hospital representatives indicated the fire was most likely triggered by a malfunction or explosion in an air conditioning unit, which then spread rapidly due to the presence of oxygen tanks in the ward — where babies were being kept in incubators and on oxygen support. A relative of one patient noted that renovation work was ongoing in the building at the time, and that women who had recently given birth were forced to flee down staircases to escape the smoke and flames.

PIMS, established in 1985, is one of Islamabad's oldest and most prominent public health institutions. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep condolences to bereaved families and ordered an immediate investigation, vowing that those found responsible would face the "strictest action". President Asif Ali Zardari called the loss "heartbreaking and an irreparable loss", urging that proper fire safety arrangements be ensured in hospitals. An inquiry committee headed by a senior district official has been formed and tasked with delivering a report within 24 hours, examining the cause of the fire, the adequacy of safety systems, and the speed of the emergency response.

The Pakistan Medical Association condemned what it called "administrative failure and regulatory oversight lapses", demanding accountability for officials who failed to uphold safety codes, and calling for a full restructuring of health regulatory authorities. Building and hospital fires are a recurring tragedy in Pakistan, where safety regulations and building codes are frequently ignored or poorly enforced. As recently as January, at least 65 people died when fire tore through a shopping complex in Karachi, the country's southern port city. Wednesday's fire underscores the chronic underfunding and mismanagement that plagues Pakistan's public healthcare sector, where overcrowded facilities and deferred maintenance can have fatal consequences for the most vulnerable patients.