At least 15 newborns killed in Pakistan hospital fire

Islamabad, Pakistan (AP) — A fire triggered by an exploding air conditioner claimed the lives of 14 newborns in the hospital nursery of Pakistan's capital on Wednesday, officials announced. One infant among the 15 in the nursery was rescued by emergency responders. Grief-stricken parents and relatives gathered at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, some weeping while others demanded answers regarding the cause of the fire and the nursery's fire safety measures.

The government launched an investigation, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif removed Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri from his position. A woman who gave birth three days earlier and lost her child in the fire expressed her anguish, saying, "I don't know what to say or whom to blame. I have lost my child." The fire remained limited to the nursery, which is one of Islamabad's largest public hospitals.

No other injuries were reported. The blaze was extinguished, and Islamabad Chief Commissioner Suhail Ashraf confirmed the incident as one of Pakistan's deadliest recent tragedies involving children. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal traveled from Karachi to oversee the investigation. A fact-finding committee was established to determine the fire's origin, its spread, and the adequacy of fire-safety measures and emergency response.

Prime Minister Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and President Asif Ali Zardari expressed their sorrow, vowing to bring those responsible to justice and urging hospitals to implement effective fire-safety measures and emergency procedures.