Eight officials have been suspended and criminal proceedings ordered following an investigation into a hospital fire in Islamabad that killed 14 newborn babies.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the measures after an investigative committee presented an interim report into the fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, or PIMS, on August 26.

The fire broke out in a third-floor nursery where 15 newborns were being cared for. According to officials, the flames spread rapidly and staff were able to rescue only one baby.

The investigation found that the nursery did not have a fire alarm or sprinkler system. It also identified shortcomings in the hospital’s emergency procedures and staff training for responding to fires and other disasters.

The eight officials facing action include the hospital’s executive director, two joint executive directors, the head of the neonatal department, two doctors, the assistant director for security and the head of emergency services at the Capital Development Authority.

The government also ordered action against the private company responsible for security at the hospital and its officials.

The investigation found that supervisory personnel were not present in the nursery when the fire started. At the time, two nurses, a female security guard and a house officer were reportedly in the ward.

Emergency services were not contacted until about six minutes after the fire began, while the first responders arrived approximately 15 minutes after receiving the call, according to the interim report.

Investigators also found that only two sections of the hospital’s 13 standard operating procedures specifically addressed fires or other emergencies.

One nurse was reported to have risked her life while attempting to rescue a baby before the flames spread through the nursery. Prime Minister Sharif approved a recommendation to award her the Sitara-i-Khidmat, a state honour recognizing public service.

The deaths have triggered public anger and calls for accountability from grieving families and civil society groups. Sharif said those found responsible for criminal negligence should face proceedings.

The Pakistani government has announced compensation of 5 million rupees, approximately $18,000, for each bereaved family.

Following the tragedy, authorities have also begun reviewing fire-safety arrangements at hospitals across the country. Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, ordered hospitals to immediately assess fire-safety systems, firefighting equipment and emergency-response facilities.

Sharif had earlier dismissed Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri following the blaze.

The hospital fire is among Pakistan’s recent deadly incidents involving children. In June, 14 schoolchildren were killed when the roof of a tutoring centre under construction collapsed in Lahore.

SOURCE: Associated Press, August 30, 2026.