The fire at the nursery of Islamabad’s PIMS Hospital was triggered by the explosion of a nebulizer attached to an incubator, according to a preliminary investigation report, which ruled out an air-conditioner compressor blast or electrical short circuit as the cause.
According to the preliminary report, the incident was not caused by an air-conditioner compressor explosion or an electrical short circuit. Instead, the fire reportedly broke out after a nebulizer attached to an incubator, used to monitor oxygen levels, exploded.
The report said the oxygen caught fire immediately after the nebulizer exploded. The fire was initially limited in intensity but spread rapidly because of the presence of oxygen.
According to the report, the fire produced heavy smoke inside the nursery, which entered the infants’ respiratory systems through the piping. The interruption of oxygen supply during the incident was also cited as a major factor in the deaths of the newborns.
The administration’s preliminary report said the fire was initially small but then spread rapidly.
Earlier, 15 newborn babies were killed in the fire that broke out in the nursery of the PIMS gynaecology ward this morning.
Rescue officials had initially said the fire started at around 6:45am after an air-conditioner compressor exploded.
Hospital authorities said 16 babies were present in the nursery when the fire broke out. Only one child could be rescued, while 15 died.
The federal government has taken strict action following the PIMS tragedy. Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghori has been suspended, while a high-level committee headed by former Interior Secretary Shahid Khan is investigating the incident on the orders of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Meanwhile, conflicting claims have emerged between the CDA Fire Brigade report and statements by PIMS Executive Director Rana Imran Sikandar. The PIMS chief said the hospital had an adequate fire-safety system and that staff made every effort to rescue the babies. However, the CDA report pointed to inadequate fire-safety arrangements.
