Islamabad (Afzal Shah Yousafzai):- An electrical engineering report on the fire that broke out in the neonatal nursery of PIMS Mother & Child Hospital has raised several questions about how the incident occurred and why the fire spread so rapidly.
According to the report, the nursery was supplied electricity through a separate distribution board, dedicated feeders and individual circuit breakers. It also stated that there was no electrical overload on the system at the time of the incident.
Following the fire, the breakers of the electrical and air-conditioning circuits were found tripped.
The report claims that these safety devices disconnected the affected circuits after detecting an abnormal electrical condition, helping prevent the fire from spreading to other wards.
However, a key question remains: If there was no overload and the safety breakers worked properly, what caused the fire—and why did it spread so quickly?
The report also does not clearly identify the exact electrical fault or the final source of the fire, leaving important questions unanswered.
Following the deaths of 14 newborn babies, a comprehensive investigation is needed to determine responsibility. This should examine not only the electrical system but also fire safety arrangements, oxygen systems, air-conditioning, fire alarms and the staff’s emergency preparedness.
