A Pakistani nurse, Razia Noreen, is set to receive one of the country’s top civil awards after rescuing the sole surviving newborn from a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad. The blaze killed 14 other infants, leaving only one baby saved.
Multiple outlets describe how widely circulated CCTV footage shows Noreen entering the nursery as smoke and flames spread and emerging seconds later carrying the infant. Accounts vary slightly on timing details and the number referenced in internal reporting, but they generally agree her actions happened within moments of the fire breaking out and that she then attempted to re-enter.
Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, personally praised her courage and devotion to duty, meeting her at the PM House and calling her a source of pride. Pakistani reporting also says Sharif approved the award and a cash component, with coverage tying the recognition to a specific date and naming the award as the Sitara-i-Khidmat. Other outlets focus on the viral video and the fact of the honour, emphasizing her risk to save the child despite the fast-changing conditions inside the nursery.
