Fourteen newborn lives were lost before they had even begun—and now a grieving Pakistan is left asking a painful question: how does a maternity ward become a death trap?

A pre-dawn fire gutted the Mother and Child Health Ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on Wednesday, killing 14 infants and leaving a place to shelter the most vulnerable in ruin.

The fire, which broke out on the third floor, was caused by an electrical fault in an air conditioner, authorities said. But the cause of the fire may only be the beginning of the questions for the families who lost their children.

Witnesses described thick black smoke, broken windows and frantic efforts to get out. Some said it took nearly two hours for emergency teams to arrive, others said hospital security men stopped people leaving the ward. One woman said the neonatal intensive care unit door was locked as the fire spread.

Accounts are still being examined, especially after officials disputed the claimed response time. Sohail Ashraf, Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, said the emergency call was made a little before 7 am and rescue and police teams reached the hospital immediately.

But the human tragedy is undeniable in the midst of conflicting reports.

Outside, families gathered, nurses calling out names of babies who had died. New parents anxiously awaited news of their babies. Khurram Mehmood, who lost his three-day-old baby girl, said he and his wife were just left waiting outside for help.

The tragedy also highlights a more serious and common problem: Pakistan’s chronic failure in fire safety, emergency preparedness and enforcement of building standards. These deadly fires have killed dozens, and sometimes hundreds, in recent years.

The investigation, therefore, cannot stop at the identification of the electrical fault. It must determine if alarms worked, exits were accessible, staff were trained, evacuation procedures were followed and emergency services responded properly.

Accountability will not bring back the children of the 14 families who are mourning today. But it could save another hospital corridor from becoming a place of unimagined loss.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)