A pall of grief and fury hung over Islamabad on Thursday as the first funerals were held for the 14 babies killed in a fire at the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), one of the capital's largest public hospitals. The blaze, which broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit late Wednesday, sent flames and thick smoke through the ward, overwhelming staff who scrambled to rescue the tiny patients.
Dazed and weeping parents, many of whom had left their infants in the hospital's care only hours earlier, gathered outside the mortuary and morgue to claim bodies. Some lashed out at hospital administrators, accusing them of negligence and a lack of fire safety measures. 'My child was healthy yesterday. He was getting treatment for a mild infection,' said Mohammad Usman, his voice breaking. 'How could a hospital burn down with babies inside? Someone must answer.'
Authorities have launched a formal inquiry into the incident. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah announced the formation of a three-member investigative committee tasked with determining the cause of the fire and identifying any lapses in safety protocols. 'We will not spare those found responsible,' he told reporters, urging calm.
Eyewitness accounts suggest the fire spread rapidly through the cramped ICU, where multiple incubators and oxygen cylinders may have fuelled the flames. Survivors reported intermittent power cuts and faulty wiring in the ward in recent weeks, though officials have not confirmed a cause. Hospital records indicate the unit was operating above its licensed capacity, with more than double the number of infants it was designed to hold.
In response, the government has ordered an immediate safety audit of all public hospitals in the capital and surrounding districts, pledging to improve emergency preparedness. But for the bereaved families, the measures come too late. 'They talk about audits and committees now,' said Fatima Bibi, whose twin daughters died in the blaze. 'Where were these audits before my children were burned alive?'
The tragedy has sparked widespread outrage across Pakistan, with opposition leaders calling for a parliamentary inquiry and renewed scrutiny of chronic underfunding and mismanagement in the country's public health system.