July hostel blaze report shelved, AUGUST tragedy follows 

A fire that broke out at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Nurses Hostel nearly seven weeks before the deadly August 26

ISLAMABAD: A fire that broke out at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Nurses Hostel nearly seven weeks before the deadly August 26 incident was investigated, but key safety recommendation .A fire that broke out at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Nurses Hostel nearly seven weeks before the deadly August 26 incident was investigated, but key safety recommendations issued afterward were not acted upon, raising serious questions about whether earlier warnings were ignored.

The July incident occurred at around 3am on July 6 in the reception area of the PIMS Nurses Hostel, where 78 female students were residing. According to the official inquiry report, all students remained safe and there were no casualties. However, three sofas placed in the reception area were damaged in the fire.

While the incident did not result in loss of life, the inquiry exposed several significant weaknesses in the hostel’s fire and security arrangements. The committee noted that the hostel had no CCTV cameras, fire alarms or emergency response plan, leaving residents and staff without essential safety mechanisms in the event of a major emergency.

The inquiry committee also pointed to deficiencies in the available evidence. In the absence of electrical and forensic reports, investigators were unable to establish the exact cause of the fire.

The report recommended departmental action against the hostel warden and security personnel over the identified safety failures. It also mentioned disciplinary measures involving lower-level staff members.

More importantly, the inquiry report was submitted to the hospital administration along with recommendations intended to address the shortcomings identified during the investigation.

However, documents show that the recommendations made after the July fire were not implemented by the time another and far more devastating fire occurred at PIMS on August 26.

The second incident struck the hospital’s mother-and-child ward and resulted in the deaths of at least 14 newborns, turning the earlier safety concerns into a matter of grave public concern.

When asked about the July 6 fire and whether the earlier incident had been brought to his attention, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said he was “not aware of the incident related to July 6.”

The minister’s response has raised further questions because PIMS functions under the federal Ministry of National Health Services, which is responsible for overseeing the country’s major federal health institutions.

The two incidents have intensified concerns over the implementation of fire-safety measures and the effectiveness of internal oversight at PIMS.

A senior PIMS official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the July inquiry had already identified the absence of basic fire-safety arrangements.

“The July report clearly identified missing fire alarms and the absence of an emergency plan. These were serious warnings that required immediate action,” the official said.

Following the August 26 tragedy, the federal government has constituted another inquiry committee and directed it to submit its findings within 15 days.

The latest investigation is now expected to determine not only what caused the fire but also whether existing safety procedures were followed and whether previous recommendations were ignored.

With Rs22 billion allocated to PIMS over the past three years and 949 sanctioned posts reportedly vacant, scrutiny is also growing over the hospital’s management, staffing and safety preparedness.

The central question now is whether the latest inquiry will lead to meaningful corrective measures—or whether its recommendations will eventually face the same fate as those issued after the July fire.