Pimms fire tragedy exposes safety failures as probe reveals locked emergency exits
ISLAMABAD – A fatal fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) nursery in Islamabad has raised alarm bells after a Capital Development Authority (CDA) report exposed serious lapses in the hospital’s fire and life safety arrangements.
A CDA fire brigade report found that emergency exits were blocked from the outside and barricaded, possibly hampering evacuation efforts during the tragedy that claimed the lives of seven children.
The fire was reported at 6:55 a.m. The first fire tender reached Pims within six minutes. However, the firefighters faced challenges during the rescue and firefighting operations. The CDA review said that the fire may have started due to electrical short circuit or plug overloading, while the fire prevention and life safety system at the hospital was found to be inadequate and below the prescribed standards.
The report reveals the alleged interference of Pims’ security personnel during the fire brigade’s initial response. Crowd control arrangements at the scene were also described as inadequate, adding to the difficulties faced by the rescue teams.
Despite the challenges, rescue teams managed to rescue 19 people, including seven children, 10 women and two men. However, seven children eventually lost their lives in the devastating nursery fire. The scale of the emergency response was substantial, with six fire tenders, six ambulances and a rescue van deployed at the scene. The operation involved 44 operational personnel and six officers, supported by a water bowser.
After the incident was reported, teams from G-10, I-9, G-5 and Fire Headquarters also joined the rescue and fire fighting efforts.
The tragedy took an even more disturbing turn after it was claimed that no doctor, ward boy or staff member was inside the incubation center when the fire broke out. The parents of the affected children have also alleged that the staff from the center was absent at the critical juncture.
The CDA’s findings put pressure on Pims management to clarify its emergency exit status, fire safety infrastructure and evacuation procedures. The government has already taken action after the incident, Federal Secretary Health Aslam Ghori has been suspended following the deaths.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also formed a high-level committee under the chairmanship of former interior secretary Shahid Khan for a transparent investigation into the tragedy.
Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghori was sacked after 14 newborns died in a fire at Pims.
The post Pimz fire tragedy exposes safety failures as probe reveals locked emergency exits appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
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