Eight seconds. That’s how long it took nurse Razia Noreen to run into a burning hospital nursery, lift a newborn against her chest, and carry the baby to safety. It’s also, in a sense, the beginning of the grief she says she still carries every night. A week after a fire tore through the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad and killed 14 newborns, Noreen has spoken publicly about what happened inside that room — and what has stayed with her since.
What Happened Inside the Nursery
Noreen and her colleagues had just checked on the 15 newborns in their care and stepped into an adjacent room to prepare injections when she noticed flames. She dropped what she was holding and ran back into the nursery, already filling with thick smoke. She lifted one baby into her arms, pressed the child against her chest to shield them from the fire, and emerged eight seconds later — captured on CCTV footage that has since been widely shared — handing the newborn to a doctor waiting nearby.
She tried to go back in for the others. The flames and smoke made it impossible. Noreen and another nurse lowered themselves to the floor, where the smoke was thinner, and tried to crawl back toward the room. They couldn’t reach it in time. Hospital officials say the fire spread through the nursery in roughly two minutes.
In Her Own Words
Noreen has been careful, in every interview since, not to describe what she did as heroism. She has framed it instead as instinct — the response of a nurse, and of a mother. Asked why she ran toward the fire rather than away from it, she put it simply: mothers don’t do favors for their children; it is their duty. She has said she didn’t think about her own safety in the moment, focused only on what she called her one mission — to save lives.
The Weight That’s Stayed With Her
Noreen has been open about how deeply the tragedy has affected her since. She says she has barely slept, and that returning near the nursery brings the memory of the fire and the sound of the children’s cries rushing back, sometimes overwhelming her completely. In one interview, through tears, she offered an apology to the mothers of the 14 babies who didn’t survive — for not being able to save them too, despite trying.
A Recognition That Reached Across Pakistan
Noreen is a Christian, part of a small religious minority in overwhelmingly Muslim Pakistan, and her act of courage has been embraced by Pakistanis across religious lines. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a recommendation that she receive the Sitara-i-Khidmat, a state honor recognizing distinguished public service, along with a cash award. Noreen has said she’s grateful for the recognition, but has been clear that it wasn’t why she acted — she didn’t do it, in her words, for a reward.
A Tragedy Still Under Investigation
The exact cause of the fire has shifted somewhat in official accounts. Hospital and district officials initially pointed to an exploding air-conditioning unit, while the hospital later said a nebulizer malfunction sparked the blaze. A government inquiry has since found significant failures in fire safety and emergency response at the facility, and eight officials have been suspended as disciplinary and criminal proceedings move forward. The full investigation into what specifically failed — and who bears responsibility — is still ongoing.
Why This Story Matters Beyond One Night
Noreen’s account is a reminder that tragedies like this one don’t end when the immediate news cycle does. The trauma she describes — the sleeplessness, the intrusive memories, the guilt over lives she couldn’t save despite trying everything she could — is a common and deeply human response to surviving a disaster others did not. Her story sits alongside a broader national reckoning already underway in Pakistan over hospital safety standards, staffing, and accountability, following both this fire and the health minister’s subsequent calls for sweeping reform in how public hospitals are run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Razia Noreen?
She is a nurse at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad who rescued a newborn from a nursery fire on August 26, 2026, that ultimately killed 14 other infants.
How did Razia Noreen save the baby?
She ran into the burning, smoke-filled nursery, lifted a newborn into her arms, and carried the baby to safety in approximately eight seconds, an act captured on hospital CCTV footage.
What recognition has she received?
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a recommendation for her to receive the Sitara-i-Khidmat, a state award for distinguished public service, along with a cash honor.
What caused the PIMS hospital fire?
Accounts have varied; officials initially cited an exploding air-conditioning unit, while the hospital later said a nebulizer malfunction was the cause. A government investigation into the fire and the response failures is ongoing.
This is a deeply difficult story rooted in real loss and trauma. If reading about experiences like Razia Noreen’s brings up difficult feelings of your own, especially around grief, trauma, or loss, reaching out to a mental health professional or a trusted person in your life is a meaningful and worthwhile step.
