▲ The national hospital in Pakistan where a fire killed 14 newborns
A fire, suspected to have been caused by an air conditioning system malfunction, broke out at a public hospital in Pakistan, leaving 14 newborns dead.
According to foreign media and local Pakistani reports, the fire broke out at around 6:45 a.m. (local time) on the 26th in a building at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a public hospital located in the capital city of Islamabad.
Due to the fire, 14 out of 15 newborns in the maternity ward died, while only one was rescued by medical staff.
After the fire broke out on the third floor of the maternity ward, 6 fire engines and 4 ambulances were deployed to extinguish the flames.
However, bereaved families and witnesses expressed furious anger, claiming that the response from the hospital and rescue teams was inadequate.
Jaweria, who lost her child in the fire, told AFP that the door to the neonatal intensive care unit was locked when the fire started, asking, "Why did the doctors leave the children there?"
Abdul Ghafoor, a witness, stated that he went inside the hospital to rescue patients after the fire broke out, but could not reach the maternity ward.
He claimed, "The inside (of the hospital building) was thick with black smoke and patients were trapped," adding, "Rescue teams arrived almost two hours after (the fire started)."
Another witness said, "Hospital guards did not evacuate people, and those inside broke the doors open (themselves)."
Shagufta Parveen, holding a 10-day-old baby in her arms with soot-stained hands, said, "There was thick black smoke and screams. We ran for our lives, and the child is safe."
Pakistan is frequently criticized for lacking medical facilities and suffering from poor management even in public healthcare facilities.
The PIMS hospital is where former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan (73), whose eyesight deteriorated while imprisoned on corruption and other charges, recently received medical treatment following a Supreme Court order.
A source from the rescue authorities stated that the fire broke out when the air conditioning system exploded inside the neonatal unit.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences to the victims and ordered relevant authorities to conduct an immediate investigation.
In a statement, he said, "This tragedy involving children is irreversible," and added, "Those responsible must be identified and subjected to the strictest action."
Major fires frequently occur in Pakistan due to lax safety standards and illegal buildings.
In January of this year, a massive fire broke out at a four-story shopping mall in Karachi, Sindh province, southern Pakistan, killing 65 people.
Earlier in 2012, a fire at a garment factory in Karachi claimed the lives of 250 workers.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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