PIMS Fire: 15 Newborns Named in Hospital Record, One Rescued
Document reviewed by Islamabad Tribune lists 14 newborns as admitted/under treatment and separately records a 15th newborn as rescued, as conflicting early reports emerge over the number of infants present and casualties.
ISLAMABAD: A hospital document reviewed by Islamabad Tribune has provided new details about the newborns linked to Wednesday morning’s fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), listing 14 babies as admitted or under treatment and separately identifying a 15th newborn as having been rescued.
Hospital Document Identifies Newborns
According to the document, the 14 admitted newborns were registered under the names of their mothers — Javeria, Alia, Anees Khalid, Asia Bibi, Shakeela, Sidra, Sumbal, Kiran Fatima, Aamna, Maria, Khizra, Hafsa and Aroosa Saeed. Asia Bibi had two newborns listed separately as Twin One and Twin Two.
The document identifies the fathers of the listed newborns as Samiullah, Rashid, Abdullah, Bahadur, Muhammad Tanveer, Imran, Usman, Muhammad Saad-ur-Rehman, Khurram, Qayyum, Mudassir, Ishtiaq and Idrees Khan.
A 15th newborn, registered under the mother’s name Asifa and father’s name Waqas, is separately marked as having been rescued.
Conflicting Reports Over Death Toll
The document is significant because early accounts of the incident have differed over the number of newborns present in the affected nursery and the casualty toll. Geo News initially reported at least 14 deaths based on rescue sources, while later reports carried by Reuters and other outlets put the toll at 15 and said 16 newborns had been present, with one rescued.
PIMS spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil, however, told Dawn that 15 babies had been in the ward and cautioned that some may have been discharged during the night, meaning an exact casualty figure could not immediately be provided. She also said at least one baby had been saved by a doctor.
Different Accounts Over Cause of Fire
There are also differing preliminary accounts of the cause. Rescue-source reports attributed the incident to an air-conditioner compressor, while the PIMS spokesperson told Dawn that the fire appeared to have resulted from a short circuit.
These accounts remain subject to the official investigation.
PIMS Neonatal Unit
The PIMS neonatology service includes a 14-bed neonatal care unit at the Maternal and Child Health Centre, according to the hospital’s official website.
Final Casualty Count Yet to Be Confirmed
Given the conflicting early figures, Islamabad Tribune is treating the hospital document as a record of the newborns listed in connection with the ward rather than independently interpreting it as a confirmed list of fatalities.
The final casualty count and circumstances surrounding each newborn require confirmation from PIMS and the investigating authorities.
