KARACHI: Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal stated that the sorrow and grief of the affected parents following the PIMS hospital fire cannot be expressed in words, confirming that 14 infants have died in the tragic incident.
He informed media outlets that both the Director General (DG) of Health and the Health Secretary are currently present on-site at PIMS to oversee operations.
Detailing the sequence of events, he explained that the fire erupted around 6:45 AM after an air conditioner compressor exploded.
The minister added that the fire rapidly intensified as a sudden power outage engulfed the hospital right after the compressor blast.
Although doctors and healthcare personnel were present inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and immediately alerted rescue teams, the blaze spread too quickly to contain, he noted.
He further clarified that all fire-extinguishing equipment inside the hospital was fully functional at the time of the incident.
However, the substantial presence of oxygen supplies in the ward caused the flames to spread at an extreme speed.
