Evacuation Underway: Smoke Fills Lahore General Hospital Gynaecology Ward as Fire Breaks Out

LAHORE, Pakistan — A sudden fire broke out in the Gynaecology Ward of Lahore General Hospital, filling the medical complex with thick smoke and triggering an immediate emergency evacuation of roughly 70 people, including pregnant women and newborns.

Hospital staff and security personnel reacted swiftly as dense smoke began pouring into the hallways, threatening vulnerable patients inside the maternity and delivery sections.

Medical staff and local emergency responders coordinated the rapid movement of around 70 individuals, safely transferring pregnant mothers, newborn infants, and attending family members out of the smoke-filled ward. Rescuers were forced to clear the facility using emergency exits and ground-floor access points as dense fumes rapidly spread through the ceiling vents and corridors.

Firefighting units rushed to the scene shortly after receiving emergency calls from hospital administration, working quickly to isolate the source of the fire.

Responders successfully localized and extinguished the blaze before it could spread to adjacent clinical departments or critical intensive care units. All evacuated patients were subsequently transferred to temporary waiting areas and alternative wards within the hospital grounds to ensure continuous medical supervision and uninterrupted care.

No casualties or severe burn injuries were immediately reported, though several individuals received treatment for minor smoke inhalation.

Hospital authorities and local fire officials have initiated an inspection of the affected ward to assess the extent of the damage. Preliminary investigations are focusing on short-circuiting or electrical equipment failure as potential causes of the blaze.

Distraught family members gathered outside the facility during the peak of the emergency, waiting anxiously as nurses and paramedics carried infants wrapped in thermal blankets into designated safe zones. Hospital administration praised the fast action of duty doctors and nursing staff, whose rapid activation of emergency protocols prevented panic and ensured that high-risk post-natal patients were relocated without disruption to their vital care.

Provincial health officials arrived at the hospital complex shortly after the blaze was contained to inspect the affected ward and review emergency response measures. State health authorities have directed an immediate safety audit across all public medical facilities in the region, prioritizing the inspection of electrical wiring, air conditioning units, and fire suppression systems in critical care units to prevent similar incidents.