A nurse who rescued the only surviving newborn from a fire that killed 14 other infants at a government hospital in Islamabad will be honoured with one of Pakistan’s highest civil awards. The blaze broke out last Wednesday at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a major public hospital.

CCTV footage lasting 51 seconds showed nurse Razia Noreen entering the burning nursery and emerging seconds later carrying the infant to safety. She attempted to re-enter the nursery to save other babies but was forced back by thick smoke and rapidly spreading flames. Noreen later told a private broadcaster that she acted out of duty and her passion for caring for children, expressing deep sorrow for the lives lost. “I cannot sleep. Those babies do not let me sleep,” she said.

An official inquiry, requested by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reported that the fire engulfed the nursery in approximately two minutes, during which 15 newborns were being cared for on the hospital’s third floor. The inquiry found that Noreen entered and exited the nursery over the course of eight seconds with the survivor, while the fire escalated catastrophically in that brief period.

Noreen will receive the Sitara-i-Khidmat, or Star of Service, an award recognising distinguished public service, along with a financial sum equivalent to about US$36,000. The announcement has received widespread public praise, with Sharif commending her courage and dedication.

Following the incident, eight government and hospital officials have been suspended pending disciplinary procedures. Sharif has also directed criminal investigations against those ultimately deemed responsible for the tragedy. Authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the fire.

The fatalities at PIMS mark one of Pakistan’s deadliest recent tragedies involving children, coming just months after a separate incident in June when 14 schoolchildren died following a roof collapse at a tutoring centre in Lahore. The hospital fire has sparked nationwide reviews of fire safety protocols in healthcare facilities to prevent similar incidents in the future.