Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif suspended Federal Health Secretary Muhammad Aslam Ghauri following a heart-wrenching fire incident in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
The massive fire in the (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) NICU ward of the hospital, claimed the lives of 14 newborn babies.
The devastating incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, August 26, 2026, in one of the main state-run hospitals in the city.
What caused the fire in PIMS?
The fire broke out after an air conditioning unit caught fire, as per a spokesman for the hospital told the BBC.
During the incident, nearly 15 babies were present at the ward; fortunately, one baby was successfully rescued.
Pakistan's PM quickly responds to the incident
The PM has been chairing a high-level meeting on the hospital fire, and has expressed "deep anger" at some officials, the information ministry said.
Witnesses claim rescue was 'delayed'
Eyewitnesses described harrowing scenes at the hospital, including intense smoke and broken glass, with some complaining that rescuers were slow to respond, with one grieving mother protesting against the management of the hospital.
An eyewitness, Abdul Ghafoor, told AFP the fire spread "very quickly".
He said he went into the hospital to try to help save patients but could not reach the maternity ward: "There was thick black smoke inside and patients were trapped... rescue teams arrived after almost two hours."
Notably, the newborn babies who died in the fire have been severely burnt, and will need to be identified through DNA tests, police said.
Dead bodies will be returned to their parents after the completion of DNA tests.
