A fire at a newborn nursery in a major government hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, killed 14 babies early on Wednesday morning. The blaze broke out at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, which was housing at least 15 newborns at the time, prompting grief among parents gathered outside the hospital and an immediate government investigation into how the tragedy occurred.

Rescue officials said the fire started at around 6:45am, apparently after the compressor of an air-conditioning unit exploded inside the nursery, part of the hospital's gynaecology ward. Firefighters extinguished the blaze quickly and rescue teams carried out cooling operations at the scene, though a hospital spokesperson did not immediately comment. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the deaths, ordered an urgent inquiry, and described the loss of children as "irreparable."