Event: the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences

Police officers move past an ambulance outside an intensive care unit after a fire broke out at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, on August 26, 2026. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro | Photo Credit: Reuters At least 15 infants were killed on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) after a fire broke out in a gynaecology ward of a major hospital in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.The fire incident occurred at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), the largest and well-equipped public hospital in the capital.Geo News reported that 15 babies died in the inferno. However, there was no official confirmation of the casualties. A worker removes broken pieces of a glass window after a fire broke out at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, on August 26, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters There were 16 newborns at the hospital’s gynaecology ‌ward when the fire ​broke out, one of whom ⁠was rescued, according to ⁠Geo. Later, PIMS Spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil told the Dawn newspaper that 15 babies were in the ward where the fire occurred.“Some of the babies may have been discharged during the night so the exact number [of casualties] cannot be shared right now,” she said.Asked about the cause of the incident, she said the fire appeared to have erupted due to a short circuit, adding that the fire erupted at around 7 a.m. She said that the flames had been extinguished but the cooling process would take some time.With inputs from Reuters, PTI Published - August 26, 2026 09:20 am IST