At least 15 newborns die after fire breaks out at Pims gynae ward's nursery

• Nursery housed 16 newborns at time of incident: officials.
• Inquiry committee formed to determine cause of fire.
• Fire started after an AC compressor exploded: sources.

ISLAMABAD: At least 15 newborns died after a fire broke out in the gynaecology ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), officials said on Wednesday.

According to Pims officials, the nursery housed 16 newborns at the time of the incident, of whom only one was rescued.

Rescue sources said the fire started after an air-conditioner compressor exploded inside the nursery at the hospital situated in the federal capital.

Rescue officials said that the blaze had been extinguished and teams were carrying out cooling operations at the site.

According to the district administration, 14 children were completely burnt in the fire that broke out on the third floor of the MCH ward.

Rescue teams reached the site immediately after receiving information, the district administration said, adding that six fire brigade vehicles and four ambulances took part in the rescue operations.

An inquiry committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the additional deputy commissioner to investigate the incident.

The committee would determine the cause of the fire and ascertain how the incident occurred, the district administration said.