Kathmandu— A devastating fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital in Islamabad has resulted in the deaths of at least 15 newborn infants. The blaze broke out Wednesday in the nursery ward, which housed 16 babies at the time; only one was successfully rescued. Authorities have attributed the cause to an explosion in an air conditioner compressor. Firefighters extinguished the fire and are currently working to cool down the affected area.

Incident Details

The fire occurred within the nursery of PIMS Hospital, a medical facility located in Islamabad, Pakistan. According to reports from Geo News, 16 newborns were present in the ward when the incident began. Emergency services responded quickly, but the rapid spread of the flames hampered rescue efforts.

The hospital officials indicated that an air conditioner compressor malfunctioned and exploded, igniting the fire within the nursery. The exact sequence of events leading to the full-scale blaze is still under investigation.

Rescue Efforts

Despite the swift response from firefighters, only one newborn could be rescued from the burning nursery. The remaining 15 infants tragically perished in the incident. Fire crews were able to extinguish the fire and are now focused on cooling operations to prevent any further complications at the site.

An investigation into the cause of the air conditioner malfunction is underway, with authorities expected to release further details as they become available.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.