World News
Pakistan suspends eight officials after hospital fire kills 14 newborns
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered criminal proceedings and departmental suspensions following an interim inquiry into a deadly nursery fire in Islamabad.
The short version
- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspended eight hospital and emergency officials after an interim inquiry into a fire that killed 14 newborns at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
- Investigators found that the hospital nursery lacked fire alarms, sprinklers, and adequate supervisory staff when the blaze broke out on Wednesday.
- The government has announced 5 million rupees in compensation for each affected family, alongside broader fire-safety reviews across hospitals nationwide.
Key facts
- A fire on the third-floor nursery of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad killed 14 newborns, while hospital staff were able to rescue only one child.[Associated Press]
- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the suspension of eight officials, including the hospital's executive director, two joint executive directors, and the head of the neonatal department, alongside initiating criminal proceedings.[Associated Press]
- An interim report led by retired senior civil servant Shahid Khan revealed the nursery lacked fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and sufficient emergency response training.[Associated Press]
- The inquiry indicated that supervisory staff were absent when the fire began, emergency services were alerted six minutes after ignition, and responders arrived 15 minutes after receiving the call.[Associated Press]
- The government previously dismissed Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri and pledged 5 million rupees (approximately $18,000) in compensation to each grieving family.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- The specific cause of the nursery fire remains unstated in the interim report findings released publicly.[Associated Press]