At least 15 newborns lost their lives at the maternity ward of a public hospital in Islamabad, when a fire broke out due to a technical problem with an air conditioning unit, according to local television network Geo TV, with local authorities in Pakistan’s capital reporting 14 infant deaths.

The fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) broke out two hours ago, Geo TV added, noting that efforts to extinguish it are underway.

There were 16 newborns in the hospital’s maternity ward when the fire broke out, and one of them was rescued, the television network reported.

#Breaking
At least 14 infants killed in hospital fire in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad

In a fire at #PIMS Hospital in Islamabad, 14 children lost their lives after a blaze broke out in the nursery. #Islamabad #Pakistan
Rescue teams arrived at the scene. It… pic.twitter.com/BSmZMcq3fw

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— World News (@ferozwala) August 26, 2026

For their part, local authorities stated in a press release that “a fire broke out on the third floor of the maternal and child health clinic at PIMS Hospital.”

“A total of 14 children lost their lives in the incident,” they added.

This is the deadliest fire to have occurred in a Pakistani hospital in recent years.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on authorities to conduct an immediate investigation, his office announced. “Those responsible must be identified, and the strictest measures must be taken,” he emphasized.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, expressing sorrow over the deaths of 14 newborns in the fire, immediatelyordered an investigation. #pims #rescue #kids #IndependentUrdu pic.twitter.com/ty74UpCn7N

— Independent Urdu (@indyurdu) August 26, 2026

Source: Protothema.gr