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At least 14 newborn babies have died after a fire broke out in the nursery of a major government hospital in Pakistan, officials have said.
The fire started early on Wednesday morning at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, where at least 15 newborn babies were being cared for in the nursery.
Officials said at least one baby was rescued from the fire.
According to local media reports, the blaze was caused by a fault in the hospital's air-conditioning system. Firefighters responded quickly and managed to bring the fire under control before rescue teams began cooling operations at the site.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described the incident as a devastating tragedy involving children and said the loss was irreparable.
He has ordered authorities to investigate the cause of the fire and determine how the incident happened. His office said those responsible must be identified and that the strictest possible action should be taken against anyone found responsible.
The fire is being described as one of the deadliest hospital fires reported in Pakistan in recent years.
Healthcare services provided by the Pakistani government are subsidised, but many public hospitals across the country face shortages of resources, heavy patient loads and poor infrastructure. State-run healthcare facilities have also repeatedly faced criticism from watchdogs over management and safety standards.
