Govt announces Rs5mn compensation for each family of PIMS fire victims
- Admits that no amount of financial aid can compensate for the loss of precious human lives
The federal government announced Rs5 million in financial assistance for each family of the infants who died in a recent fire at PIMS Hospital, Islamabad, offering support to grieving parents.
- Federal government's financial aid for affected families.
- The tragic PIMS Hospital fire claiming infant lives.
- Government's commitment to ongoing family support.
The federal government has announced Rs5 million in financial assistance for each family of the infants who died in a recent fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital in Islamabad.
According to the state-run APP, the financial assistance is intended to provide some measure of support and solace to the grieving parents following the tragedy.
The government acknowledged that no amount of financial assistance could compensate for the loss of precious human lives.
The announcement comes in the wake of the devastating fire that broke out in a ward at PIMS, claiming the lives of at least 14 infants.
The government believed that this financial support is a sincere effort to help ease the immediate difficulties of the mourning families.
The government further assured that it will continue to provide all possible cooperation and support to the affected families in the wake of the incident.
The statement also conveyed deep sorrow over the tragedy, and a message of solidarity with the bereaved families.
A fire erupted in a hospital maternity ward in Islamabad on Wednesday killing 14 infants, Pakistan authorities said, blaming a faulty air conditioner for the blaze.
The dawn fire broke out on the third floor of the Mother and Child Health Ward at the capital’s premier public hospital PIMS, the Islamabad district office said in a statement.
The statement gave a death toll of 14, all of whom were infants, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Nineteen people, including seven children, were rescued, Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry said.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal told reporters outside the hospital that CCTV footage showed that a “spark from the air conditioner fell, and the fire spread within a minute”.
He said 26 fire extinguishers were used to try to extinguish the flames but that there were no water sprinklers in the ward.
Witnesses described chaotic and harrowing scenes, including intense smoke and broken glass, a slow response from emergency services and guards reportedly preventing people from leaving the building.