Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday ordered the suspension of eight officials and directed that criminal proceedings be initiated against those found responsible for a fire that killed 14 newborns at an Islamabad hospital, his office said. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Sharif issued the orders after an investigative committee headed by retired senior civil servant Shahid Khan presented its interim report on Wednesday's fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, or PIMS, his office said in a statement.
The fire was confined to a third-floor nursery but officials said it spread so quickly that staff were able to rescue only one baby from among the 15 being cared for there.
The inquiry found that the nursery had no fire alarm or sprinkler system and that the hospital lacked detailed procedures and training for responding to fires and other emergencies, the statement said.
The fire has intensified public anger, prompting grieving families and civil society groups to demand accountability.
"Those guilty of criminal negligence deserve no leniency," Sharif was quoted as saying.
He ordered departmental and criminal proceedings against those identified by the committee. The eight included the hospital administration.