PIMS Fire Sole Survivor Baby Dies After Weeks in Intensive Care

The only newborn rescued alive from the August 26 PIMS nursery fire has died during treatment, raising the death toll from the tragedy to 15.

The baby, identified in reports as Aizal Waqas, died on Thursday morning while receiving treatment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Children’s Hospital in Islamabad. She had been in critical condition and was receiving intensive medical care after surviving the fire. She was placed on a ventilator before her condition deteriorated.

Aizal was a premature baby from Azad Jammu and Kashmir. She was the only newborn rescued alive from the nursery after the fire broke out at the PIMS Mother and Child Hospital on August 26.

CCTV footage reviewed during the inquiry showed staff nurse Razia Noreen rescued the baby from the smoke-filled nursery. She also tried to re-enter the ward after the rescue.

14 Newborns Died in Initial Fire

The fire broke out in the neonatal nursery of PIMS’s Mother and Child Hospital during the early morning of August 26. There were 15 newborns in the nursery at the time. Fourteen died in the fire, while Aizal was the sole survivor rescued from the ward.

Tamgha-i-Shujaat Approved for Nurse Razia

President Asif Ali Zardari approved the conferment of the Tamgha-i-Shujaat on PIMS staff nurse Razia Noreen on September 16. The award recognizes her for risking her life to rescue the sole surviving child during the fire.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier met Noreen and presented her with a Rs 10 million cheque in recognition of her bravery and devotion to duty. He also announced that she would receive the Sitara-i-Khidmat for her services.

Noreen said she was carrying out her responsibility because the children had been entrusted to her care.

Aizal’s death means that all 15 newborns who were in the nursery during the August 26 fire have now died.