14 newborn babies die in Islamabad hospital fire
A fire in a maternity ward at a hospital in Islamabad killed 14 newborn babies; the blaze is thought to have started in an air conditioning unit.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Fourteen newborn babies have died after a fire broke out in a maternity ward at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad. The blaze started in the early hours of the morning, reportedly after an air conditioning unit exploded. Fifteen babies were in the nursery at the time; only one was rescued.
The fire spread rapidly through the ward, fuelled by oxygen cylinders. Parents outside the hospital expressed anguish and anger, with one mother asking why the children's ward was locked. Hospital officials denied that the doors were locked and said rescue services arrived within minutes.
Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, ordered an investigation and later sacked a senior official in the health department. A committee has been set up to report on the causes within 24 hours. Forensics teams are working to identify the bodies of the infants.
The incident has raised questions about safety protocols in Pakistan's hospitals. Eyewitnesses criticised the speed of the response, while the hospital director insisted that everything possible was done. The families of the victims are demanding accountability as they grieve for the children they never got to bring home.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  | BBC |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 6 or more of 8 channels | ||||||||
| Cleveland Police made 12 arrests in connection with the incident. | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by ITV | ||||||
| Reported by a few · 2–5 channels | ||||||||
| A fire at a hospital maternity ward killed more than a dozen infants, with 15 newborns on the ward at the time, and reportedly started after an air conditioning compressor exploded. | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | |||||
| Four of the five people who died in the car had previous convictions. | Not reported by BBC | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | ||||
| Two men, aged 23 and 31, were arrested on suspicion of murder. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| Two officers were killed when a car with cloned plates travelled the wrong way down the A66 after a seven-minute pursuit. | Not reported by Channel 5 | BBCReported by BBC | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | ||
| An online appeal for the officers' families raised over £200,000 in less than 12 hours. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | ||
| Police called off the pursuit ten seconds before the crash. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | |||
| The fire was about two miles from the A66 crash that killed seven people. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Two people died in a house fire in Middlesbrough. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by Sky News | |||
| A woman is in critical condition in hospital. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Police had received reports about incidents involving the car. | Not reported by Channel 5 | BBCReported by BBC | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Social media firms were ordered to take down dangerous driving videos. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| The Prime Minister sacked a senior official in the health department. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Only on one channel | ||||||||
| A committee was set up to report within 24 hours. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| A health minister travelled to the scene to oversee the investigation | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Forensics teams were working to identify the bodies of the babies. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Hospital authorities stated that the doors were not locked. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Oxygen cylinders caused the fire to spread rapidly. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Police said they could not rule out links to wider organised crime. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Rescue services arrived quickly at the scene. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The fire started after an air conditioning compressor exploded | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| There were 15 newborn babies on the maternity ward | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News provided breaking news coverage and then a detailed report from the scene, focusing on the human tragedy, the mother's emotional outburst, and the official response including the sacking of a health official. It highlighted the speed of the fire and the role of oxygen cylinders.
- “They say we have to save the adults first. We saved them. Why were they saving adults? They could have got out on foot. Why didn't they save the children's first? Why was the children's ward locked?”
- “Even if you take all 50 measures, still, if there is short-circuiting, if there's a blast, then you just can't do anything.”
Sky News focused on the immediate aftermath, with correspondent Cordelia Lynch reporting live, highlighting the death toll, the rescue of one baby, and criticism of the response. It also reported the Prime Minister's statement and the formation of a committee.
- “Most of the newborns were in incubators or hooked up on oxygen equipment.”
- “eyewitnesses have been critical about the speed of the response.”
- “The Prime Minister stated that such a situation with children is irreparable.”
5 News gave a brief update, focusing on the death toll, the cause, and the rescue of one baby, and the health minister's visit.
- “The blaze broke out after an air conditioning unit exploded in the maternity ward.”
- “At least one baby was rescued, with a health minister travelling to the scene to oversee the investigation.”
ITV News provided a detailed report with a mother's emotional interview, explaining the fire's rapid spread due to oxygen cylinders, and the families' demand for accountability.
- “I have a three-day-old son How can they say that all the children were burned when none of the staff were burned? They say we have to save the adults first. We save them. Why were they saving adults? They could have gone out on foot Why didn't they save the children first? Why was the children's ward locked?”
- “When this explosion happened the oxygen cylinders exploded and the fire spread along the oxygen lines and it happened in seconds It did not take much time and from what I know the fire brigade arrived here very quick within five to ten minutes”
BBC ONE West gave a comprehensive report from the scene, showing the blackened ward, the forensics team, and the mother's grief, and noted the sacking of a senior official.
- “They say we have to save the adults first. We saved them. Why were they saving adults? They could have got out on foot. Why didn't they save the children's first? Why was the children's ward locked?”
- “Even if you take all 50 measures, still, if there is short-circuiting, if there's a blast, then you just can't do anything.”
- “Tiny bodies in adult coffins given back to the families, new to the world, taken from it so soon.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.