14 Infants Die in Pakistan Hospital Fire

A fire in the gynaecology ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad killed 14 infants on August 26, 2026. The blaze reportedly started around 6:38 a.m. when a flame emerged from an air-conditioning unit, intensifying as it reached children on oxygen. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal visited the site, describing the event as a tragedy and noting that the 1984 building was technically unsuitable for sprinklers and severely over capacity.

Kamal offered himself for accountability to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, stating that the prime minister would decide his fate. While a high-powered inquiry committee has been formed to produce a report within three days, Kamal faced protests from grieving relatives who accused authorities of turning the tragedy into a spectacle.

The Pakistan Peoples Party demanded Kamal's immediate resignation. Senator Sherry Rehman alleged that emergency doors were locked, fire tanks were empty, and doctors were absent during the fire. Other party leaders and a spokesperson for the Sindh government characterized the deaths as a result of administrative negligence and a systemic failure of the federal healthcare system.