Pakistan maternity ward fire was ‘institutional failure’: inquiry

Islamabad: A fire that killed 14 infants at a maternity ward in Pakistan’s capital last month followed “systemic and institutional failure” at the hospital, according to an official inquiry.

The devastating dawn blaze broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health Ward at Islamabad’s premier public hospital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), on August 26.

The official report, dated September 7 and seen by AFP on Thursday, found there were no working smoke detectors or sprinklers and that the probable cause of the fire was a faulty air conditioning unit.

Witnesses described chaotic and harrowing scenes to AFP on the day of the tragedy, including intense smoke and broken glass, and a slow response from emergency services.

One mother who lost her infant in the fire said a door to the neonatal intensive care unit was locked, hampering rescue efforts.