At least 14 babies have died after a fire broke out in the maternity ward of a major hospital in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.
The blaze that broke out about two hours ago in the gynaecology ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) was triggered by a fault in the air conditioning system, reported local broadcaster GeoTV on Wednesday.
The nursery housed 16 newborns at the time of the incident, of whom only one was rescued, said the hospital officials. The fire has now been extinguished, and teams were carrying out cooling operations at the site, the rescue officials told the outlet.
According to the rescue sources, an air-conditioner compressor exploded inside the nursery at the hospital situated in the federal capital.
Earlier, emergency response teams rushed to the hospital to bring the fire under control and evacuate patients and secure the affected area.
While several children are reportedly injured, there have been no comments from the hospital authorities on the casualties.
More follows