Note: this is a developing story. The account below reflects official statements and reporting available as of late August 2026; some details, including the exact cause of the fire, are still being investigated and may change as findings are confirmed.
On the morning of August 26, 2026, a fire broke out in the neonatal intensive care unit on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad's largest public hospital. Fifteen newborns were in the nursery at the time. Fourteen died. One infant was rescued.
What Happened That Morning
The fire started at around 6:45am, according to the Islamabad district administration, which also logged the first emergency call at that time. Rescue teams and fire crews were dispatched, though accounts of exactly how quickly they reached the ward differ; a father who lost his three-day-old daughter told AFP that rescue workers took several hours to arrive and that victims waited for assistance outside on the road.
Hospital officials said two doctors, four nurses, and other staff were present in the NICU when the fire broke out, and that a doctor was responsible for rescuing the one infant who survived.
What Caused the Fire
The exact cause is still contested. Hospital management initially attributed the fire to a short circuit in the nursery's air-conditioning unit, and rescue sources cited by CNN pointed to an exploding AC compressor. PIMS administration's own initial report instead pointed to a nebuliser or oxygen-supply unit near an incubator. Later reporting raised a further complication: at least one visiting official said the AC unit in question may not even have been operational at the time of the fire, which would contradict the original explanation. A formal, publicly released determination of the cause had not been issued as of this writing.
What the Inquiry Has Found So Far
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered a high-powered inquiry the same day, led by former interior secretary Shahid Khan, and suspended the federal health secretary, Aslam Ghauri (also reported as Ghori), shortly afterward.
The committee's initial findings, submitted days later, described conditions at PIMS as falling short of international standards across the board. Specific issues reported include the absence of an automatic fire sprinkler system, with the fire ultimately brought under control using 26 handheld fire extinguishers; permanently closed or restricted emergency exits, which hospital administration says were tied to a longstanding anti-child-theft policy rather than being a fire-specific lapse; and, according to the fire brigade's own report, obstruction of firefighters by hospital security staff during the initial response.
The inquiry also noted that Islamabad's Capital Development Authority had issued fire-safety notices to PIMS for several years — accounts differ on whether the figure is seven or eight years — without those notices being fully addressed. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal acknowledged the notices had been issued but said it was too early to say what had or hadn't been complied with, given the size of the facility.
Not an Isolated Incident
This wasn't the first time an air-conditioning-linked fire has killed newborns in a Pakistani hospital. In June 2024, a fire tore through the paediatric ward at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital in Punjab, killing 11 babies. In that case, Punjab's Chief Minister ordered the arrest of the hospital's medical superintendent and three senior doctors after an inquiry found the facility's fire extinguishers had expired.
The recurrence of the same failure mode, roughly two years apart, at two different major public hospitals, is a central part of why the PIMS inquiry's findings have drawn such sharp political reaction — the concern isn't only what went wrong on August 26, but why the same category of risk wasn't addressed after Sahiwal.
The Response
Political reaction was swift and largely unified in demanding accountability, across party lines. Officials including Ishaq Dar and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari issued public statements calling for a full investigation and consequences for anyone found responsible. The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Health has called for the suspension of on-duty doctors and staff, along with the resignation of Health Minister Mustafa Kamal. Separately, a petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court seeking a judicial commission to investigate the fire independently of the government's own inquiry.
Health Minister Kamal has said publicly that "whoever is responsible will not be spared," while noting that decisions on next steps rest with the prime minister.
What Happens Next
As of this writing, PIMS administration has secured CCTV footage and other evidence from the ward, and a separate internal inquiry by PIMS itself is also underway alongside the government's committee. Whether the government's inquiry report will be made public in full — and what legal or administrative action follows — is still pending the prime minister's decision. This is an active, developing situation, and key facts, including the fire's precise cause, may still change as investigations conclude.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many babies died in the PIMS hospital fire? Fourteen newborns died and one was rescued, out of fifteen infants who were in the nursery of PIMS Hospital's Mother and Child Health ward at the time of the fire on August 26, 2026.
What caused the fire at PIMS Hospital? The cause has not been officially confirmed. Initial explanations pointed to an air-conditioning unit fault, though hospital administration's own early report and later statements from officials have raised conflicting accounts, including a nebuliser or oxygen-unit malfunction. A final determination is still pending.
Has anyone been held responsible for the PIMS fire? As of this writing, the federal health secretary has been suspended and an inquiry has identified serious safety shortfalls, but no final findings on individual responsibility or legal action had been publicly confirmed.
Has this kind of incident happened before in Pakistan? Yes. In June 2024, a fire linked to hospital equipment killed 11 babies at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital in Punjab, leading to the arrest of senior hospital staff after an inquiry found expired fire-safety equipment.