Only one baby was rescued from the neonatal center where the fire occurred, in the capital of Pakistan. Published August 26, 2026 August 26, 2026 At least 14 newborn children died in a fire that broke out in the nursery of a government-run hospital in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, as he ordered an investigation. The fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Center of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences on Wednesday. (PIMS), according to media reports. Recommended stories list of 3 itemsend list Local broadcaster Geo TV, citing hospital sources, put the death toll at 15. It said the fire, which started shortly before 07:00 local time (02:00 GMT), has now been extinguished. Only one baby was rescued, he added. In a statement on X, Sharif offered his “deepest condolences to the bereaved families” and ordered authorities to carry out “an immediate investigation.” He promised that those responsible would face the “strictest measures.” Geo TV cited rescue sources as saying the fire was probably caused by a short circuit in a malfunctioning air conditioning unit. In January, at least 65 people died when a massive fire swept through a busy shopping complex in the southern port city of Karachi. Wednesday’s fire is one of the deadliest hospital fires in Pakistan’s history. While the government provides subsidized medical treatment through public hospitals, the state sector remains underfunded, poorly managed and overcrowded.
