At least 14 newborn babies die in Islamabad hospital fire

At least 14 babies have died at a hospital nursery in Pakistan, officials say.

The fire started early Wednesday morning at a major government hospital - the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences - which housed about 15 newborns.

It's reported that one baby was rescued, officials said.

The fire was ignited after the compressor of an air-conditioning unit exploded inside the nursery, according to local reports.

The number of babies in the ward when the fire broke out could be as high as 16, Pakistani broadcaster Geo TV reported.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said: "A tragedy involving children is an irreparable loss."

He has directed authorities to launch an investigation into how the fire started.

"Those responsible should be identified, ⁠and the strictest action should be ​taken," Mr Sharif's office said.

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Firefighters quickly responded and extinguished the blaze, with rescue teams carrying out cooling operations at the site, local media reported.

The families of some of the victims gathered outside the hospital, many in tears.

The incident is among the deadliest hospital ​fires in recent years in Pakistan.

Government healthcare ⁠is subsidised in Pakistan but facilities are under-resourced and overburdened, while watchdogs have frequently criticised ‌state-run facilities as mismanaged.

The fire broke out at about 7am and quickly engulfed the third floor of the hospital's mother and child health wards.

Pakistan has suffered several serous fires in recent years, including at a shopping centre in the country's largest city of Karachi that killed 67 people in January.

At least 16 people were killed in a chemical factory fire in August 2021 also in Karachi.

(c) Sky News 2026: At least 14 newborn babies die in Islamabad hospital fire