14 Newborn Babies Reported D£ad As Fir£ Breaks Out In  Hospital

14 Newborn Babies Reported Dead As Fire Breaks Out In  Hospital

Local broadcaster Geo TV reported that the death toll had risen to 15 and said one infant was rescued from the nursery before firefighters extinguished the blaze.

At least 14 newborn babies have died after a fire broke out in the nursery of a government hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, officials said.

The fire started shortly before 7:00am local time (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday on the third floor of the Mother and Child Centre at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital.

Local broadcaster Geo TV reported that the death toll had risen to 15 and said one infant was rescued from the nursery before firefighters extinguished the blaze.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences to the families of the victims and ordered an immediate investigation into the incident.

In a statement posted on X, Sharif said those responsible would face the “strictest action”.

Officials said preliminary findings suggested that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit in a malfunctioning air conditioning unit.

Hospital and building fires are common in Pakistan, where safety regulations and building codes are often poorly enforced.

In January, at least 65 people were killed when a fire swept through a crowded shopping complex in Karachi.

The latest incident is among the deadliest hospital fires recorded in Pakistan.

Public hospitals in the country provide subsidised healthcare but often struggle with inadequate funding, overcrowding and poor management.