- Riyadh expresses condolences, solidarity with Pakistan after Pims blaze.
- At least 14 newborn babies were killed in fire, according to reports.
- China, Spain, UK, Nigeria also expressed condolences, solidarity.
Saudi Arabia has joined a number of countries in expressing condolences and solidarity with Pakistan following the deadly fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad that claimed the lives of newborn babies, with Iran and Turkey also conveying messages of support.
In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry extended its “sincere condolences and sympathy” to the families of the victims as well as to the government and people of Pakistan following the devastating incident.
“The Kingdom expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims and stands with the government and people of Pakistan in the wake of this tragic incident,” the ministry said.
Saudi Arabia also reaffirmed its support for Pakistan at a time of profound grief, wishing the country and its people continued “security and safety”.
The statement comes after a fire broke out at the Mother and Child Health ward at Pims in Islamabad, killing at least 14 newborn babies. Pakistani authorities have launched an investigation into the incident and pledged accountability.
Saudi Arabia was not alone in expressing sympathy after the tragedy. Iran and Syria also conveyed condolences to Pakistan, with their foreign ministries expressing solidarity with the government and people and sympathy for the families of the newborns killed in the fire.
World mourns with Pakistan
In the quiet aftermath of the PIMS hospital fire that claimed fourteen newborn lives in Islamabad, messages of grief began arriving from distant capitals.
The United Kingdom’s British High Commission called the tragedy heartbreaking and offered deepest condolences and thoughts to the parents and families.
Turkey’s embassy spoke of being deeply saddened by the loss of newborn lives and extended heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the bereaved.
France described the incident as deeply distressing while sending deepest sympathies to the families and all those affected. Spain’s embassy offered heartfelt condolences and said its thoughts were with everyone touched by the heartbreaking tragedy.
Iran conveyed the sympathy of its government and people to the victims’ families as well as to Pakistan’s government and citizens.
China’s embassy expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the infants and extended deepest condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families.
Nigeria sent condolences and sympathies to the Pakistani government and people, especially the affected families, standing in solidarity.
Syria offered sincere condolences and sympathy to Pakistan’s government and people, along with prayers for strength.
Afghanistan’s embassy in Islamabad shared its deep sorrow and heartfelt sympathies with the grieving families.
Across borders and languages, the same quiet refrain rose: may the parents find strength in this irreparable loss.
The blaze
The blaze started around 7am on the third floor of the hospital’s Mother and Child Health ward, Geo News reported. “The fire erupted after a blast in an air conditioner,” Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal told Geo News, adding that ample oxygen in the ward helped it spread.
The incident is among the deadliest hospital fires in recent years in the country, where government healthcare is subsidised but facilities are under-resourced and overburdened. Watchdogs have frequently criticised state-run facilities as mismanaged.
Television footage showed a gutted, blackened ward with scattered equipment and smoke still rising. The ward was later cordoned off, a Reuters witness said.
Footage showed grief-stricken women sitting on the ground outside the hospital. One of them was Javeria, who lost her newborn in the fire.
“It was a gynaecology ward … there was no doctor, no nurse,” she said, adding that the bodies of the children were taken away “in boxes” and the women did not get to see them.
“It is not God’s will… I don’t accept it,” she said.
Kamal denied accusations that there were no staff or doctors present at the time of the fire.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspended the health secretary over the incident, his office said, hours after he ordered an investigation.
The building that housed the ward “had no fire security, no proper exits. All doors were closed; only one door was open for us to visit our children,” said Mudasir, who also lost his child. Javeria and Mudasir both gave only their first names.
Pims, where former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was briefly taken for a medical check last week, is centrally located in Islamabad and is one of the main public hospitals in the city of around 1.1 million people.
