PIMS Fire: CDA Claims Seven-Minute Emergency Response
Capital Emergency Service says teams reached PIMS within seven minutes of the 6:54am alert, deploying six fire brigade units and four ambulances; an ADCG-led committee will examine the cause, emergency response and hospital fire-safety arrangements.
ISLAMABAD: Capital Emergency Service (CES) and the Capital Development Authority’s Fire Department responded within seven minutes after receiving an emergency call about a fire at the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) centre of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) early Wednesday morning, according to an emergency response update issued following the incident.
Emergency Alert Received at 6:54am
The fire alert was received at approximately 6:54am, after which fire and rescue teams were dispatched to the hospital. Authorities said six fire brigade units and four ambulances were deployed as part of the emergency operation.
The fire was brought under control and the affected area subsequently underwent cooling and assessment operations. Children rescued during the emergency were shifted to the intensive care unit for immediate medical attention, according to the response update.
The emergency deployment included fire tenders, rescue personnel, CES ambulances and officials from the Islamabad Capital Territory administration.
Casualty Figures Still Being Verified
Separately, reports citing the Islamabad administration said the fire occurred on the third floor of the Mother and Child Hospital and that six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances participated in the operation. Published reports have put the number of newborn deaths at 14, although figures reported during the developing situation have varied.
The latest CES response update said the exact figures for casualties and injuries were being verified jointly by the assistant commissioner, police, rescue teams and the hospital administration. Given the differing figures emerging during the initial hours, Islamabad Tribune is treating the final casualty count as subject to authoritative confirmation.
Conflicting Accounts Over Cause
Questions also remain over the precise cause of the fire. PIMS spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil told Dawn that the fire appeared to have resulted from a short circuit, while rescue sources cited by Geo News attributed it to an air-conditioner compressor incident.
The differing preliminary accounts mean the cause should not be regarded as established until the official investigation is completed.
Inquiry Committee Formed
Authorities have constituted an inquiry committee headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner General (ADCG), Islamabad Capital Territory, to investigate the incident.
According to the emergency response update, the committee has been tasked not only with establishing the cause of the fire but also with assessing the rescue operation and examining the effectiveness of existing fire-safety arrangements at the hospital.
The inquiry is therefore expected to examine both how the emergency originated and how institutional safety and response systems functioned once the alert was raised.
Investigation to Assess Hospital Safety
The incident occurred at PIMS, one of Islamabad’s major public-sector healthcare facilities. As investigations proceed, findings of the ADCG-led committee will be critical in establishing the sequence of events, determining the cause and assessing whether existing safety arrangements and emergency protocols were adequate.
