At least 14 newborn babies were killed on Wednesday when a fire swept through a maternity and neonatal facility at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, prompting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to order an immediate investigation.
Hospital authorities said 15 babies were in the ward when the blaze broke out, with only one infant rescued.
Local broadcaster Geo TV, citing hospital sources, reported a death toll of 15, while the hospital administration confirmed 14 deaths.
The blaze began shortly before 7 a.m. local time on the third floor of the hospital’s Mother and Child Centre, according to reports.
Islamabad Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf said the emergency call was made just before 7 a.m., after which rescue and police teams reached the scene.
The fire was brought under control, and hospital authorities said children were moved to intensive care.
Hospital spokesperson Dr Aneeza Jalil told Dawn that one baby was saved by a doctor.
Women who had recently given birth were forced to evacuate by running down several flights of stairs.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said many of the infants had been in incubators or receiving oxygen and that oxygen canisters had intensified the fire.
Kamal suggested an air conditioner may have caused the blaze, while Geo TV cited rescue sources saying a short circuit in a malfunctioning air-conditioning unit was the likely cause.
Authorities, however, have not confirmed the cause, and investigators remained at the scene.
Repair and construction work was also underway at the hospital.
Sharif expressed condolences to the families and directed authorities to investigate the incident immediately.
He said those found responsible should face the strictest action.
President Asif Ali Zardari also offered condolences, describing the loss of the newborns as “heartbreaking”.
The incident was among the deadliest hospital fires in Pakistan in years.
Building fires are frequent in Pakistan, where safety regulations and building codes are often poorly enforced.
In January, at least 65 people were killed when a major fire swept through a crowded shopping complex in Karachi.