A Heroic Rescue Amid Tragedy
Razia Noreen, a nurse at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, rescued the sole surviving newborn from a fire that swept through the hospital's nursery, claiming the lives of 14 other infants. The incident occurred on a recent Wednesday, and reports indicate that Noreen's swift actions were captured on CCTV. The footage, widely circulated online, shows her running into the burning room and emerging moments later with a baby in her arms, as detailed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Noreen, who was in an adjacent room preparing injections with colleagues, noticed the flames and immediately acted. She recounted how she dropped the syringe and ran into the nursery, lifting a baby and pressing it against her chest to shield it from the fire. The entire rescue, from entering the nursery to handing the newborn to a doctor, took approximately eight seconds, according to reports from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A Nation Honors Its Heroine
In recognition of her bravery, Noreen will receive the Sitara-i-Khidmat, or Star of Service, one of Pakistan's most prestigious civilian awards, along with a cash prize of about $36,000. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Noreen's "exceptional courage and devotion to duty," as reported by multiple sources. The inquiry into the incident, which was ordered by the Prime Minister, detailed Noreen's actions and the rapid escalation of the fire.
The Unbearable Weight of Survival
Despite her heroic actions, Noreen remains haunted by the tragedy. In an emotional interview with Samaa TV, she broke down in tears, stating, "I did not do it for a reward. I love children, and caring for them is my passion." She expressed her deep sorrow at not being able to save the others, noting that the fire spread through the nursery within just two minutes. "I cannot sleep. Those babies do not let me sleep," she said, as quoted by WTOP and South China Morning Post.
Official Response and Inquiry
The investigation into the fire is ongoing, with Prime Minister Sharif having ordered an inquiry that led to the suspension of eight officials and the initiation of disciplinary proceedings. The inquiry report, as cited by WTOP, indicates that the nursery "deteriorated catastrophically within approximately two minutes," although the exact cause of the fire remains undetermined. The same report noted that 15 newborns were being cared for in the third-floor nursery at the time of the fire. This tragedy is part of a concerning pattern in Pakistan, where a separate incident in June saw the collapse of a tutoring center roof in Lahore, killing 14 schoolchildren, as reported by WTOP.