Pakistani nurse honored after fatal Islamabad hospital nursery fire kills 14 newborns

The short version

• A fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) nursery ward killed 14 newborns on August 26, leaving only one surviving infant.[Al Jazeera]
• Staff nurse Razia Noreen managed to rescue one baby within eight seconds before thick smoke and flames engulfed the ward.[Al Jazeera]
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif honored Noreen with the Sitara-i-Khidmat award and a 10 million rupee cheque.[Al Jazeera]
• An interim inquiry has not yet determined the exact cause, examining possible faults in an air conditioner, incubator, or electrical wiring.[Al Jazeera]

Key facts

• Fourteen of fifteen newborns in the PIMS nursery ward died in the August 26 blaze, with only one surviving infant rescued.[Al Jazeera]
• Surveillance footage recorded staff nurse Razia Noreen entering the burning nursery at 6:38:56am and exiting with an infant eight seconds later before dense smoke blinded cameras by 6:40am.[Al Jazeera]
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recognized Noreen's bravery, confirming she will receive the Sitara-i-Khidmat award along with 10 million Pakistani rupees.[Al Jazeera]
• The government's inquiry cleared front-line medical staff of claims that they abandoned the infants during the emergency.[Al Jazeera]
• No fire safety drills had taken place in the nursery before the incident, despite a previous fire at a hospital hostel in July.[Al Jazeera]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• ‘I could not save the rest’: Hero nurse remembers Pakistan’s nursery fireAl Jazeera