A fire erupted in the operation theatre of Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan, with rescue teams attributing the blaze to a short circuit. The smoke quickly spread throughout the hospital premises.
Patients present in the operation theatre were promptly evacuated as rescue officials worked to control the fire. Efforts to extinguish the flames continued under close supervision.
In a significant development, Rahim Yar Khan Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar took immediate notice of the incident and requested a detailed report. He instructed the Assistant Commissioner of Rahim Yar Khan to visit the site and evaluate the situation firsthand.
The hospital administration is currently reviewing the cause of the fire along with the existing safety protocols. They have been directed to submit a comprehensive report outlining the incident and the hospital’s preparedness. Officials emphasized that the full facts will be revealed following a thorough investigation.
This event occurred just four days after a fire broke out in the gynecology ward of Lahore General Hospital. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported in that incident, and 70 individuals, including pregnant women, were safely evacuated.
Lahore General Hospital authorities, the fire originated in the exhaust fan system, causing smoke to fill the ward and an adjacent corridor. A security guard was affected by the smoke and required emergency medical care but later recovered and was declared out of danger.
Medical Superintendent Dr. Faryad Hussain highlighted that fire safety training provided to hospital staff played a crucial role during the Lahore incident. Trained personnel swiftly used fire extinguishers to contain the fire without needing external assistance. No injuries or deaths occurred, and patients, including children, remained safe.
In a related tragic event, on August 26, 2026, a fire at the neonatal ward of Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) claimed the lives of 14 newborn babies. The fire started at 6:54 a.m. on the third floor, where intensive care for newborns is provided.
The Capital Development Authority’s Directorate of Emergency and Disaster Management issued an initial report stating that fire and rescue teams arrived within six minutes of the alert. The report noted heavy smoke emanating from the nursery and identified an electrical short circuit or plug overloading as potential causes.
The report also criticized the nursery’s fire and life safety measures, noting that emergency exits were either blocked or obstructed. Additionally, hospital security personnel reportedly impeded initial firefighting efforts, and crowd management was inadequate at the scene.
