At least 14 newborn babies have died following a fire at a hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning on the third floor of the mother and child unit at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital, one of the city's main state-run facilities.
A hospital spokesman told the BBC that an air conditioning unit caught fire. There were 15 babies in the ward when the fire started, with one baby reportedly rescued. Pakistan's Health Minister Mustafa Kamal stated that the babies were either in incubators or connected to oxygen equipment, which can accelerate a fire.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has suspended Federal Secretary of Health Aslam Ghauri from his post. The Prime Minister has expressed "deep anger" at some officials and instructed authorities to "conduct an immediate investigation." Islamabad's District Magistrate has also formed a fact-finding committee, which is expected to produce a report within 24 hours.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes, with intense smoke and broken glass. Some witnesses claimed that rescuers were slow to respond, with one stating that rescue teams arrived after almost two hours. Police have confirmed that the newborn babies who died were badly burnt and will require DNA tests for identification before their bodies can be returned to their parents. Emergency responders rescued at least 19 other people from the hospital.