A fire at a maternity ward in Pakistan's capital has killed 14 infants, with witnesses claiming locked doors and a delayed rescue response turned a tragedy into an avoidable catastrophe. The blaze erupted just after dawn on Wednesday at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, one of the country's largest state-run hospitals.

Hivsa Walid, who was visiting her sister-in-law, described the chaos: "We didn't even think about our belongings. We just grabbed the baby and rushed downstairs." The fire started in an air-conditioning unit on the third floor, and only one of 15 babies present survived. Khurram Mehmood, 40, told AFP, "I lost my daughter. She was only three days old."

Jaweria, mother of another victim, alleged the ward's door was locked: "For two hours I kept crying and wailing. Police arrived after four hours and said they are here to investigate. Why did the doctors leave the children there? To hell with you, rescue team and police. Babies burnt to death there, but nobody could save them."

Hospital executive director Rana Imran Sikander denied the door was locked, saying it was manned to prevent baby thefts - a problem that has plagued government hospitals before. But witnesses described a different scene: no fire extinguishers, no proper exits, and staff seemingly absent. One father told Reuters the building had "no fire security, no proper exits," and other doors were kept locked to limit visitation. Another witness said rescue teams arrived after nearly two hours, while Islamabad's Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf insisted they responded "immediately."

PIMS has 156 beds in its maternal and child health unit, making it a major facility. Pakistan has a grim history of deadly fires, with poor safety laws and lax enforcement often to blame - as seen in a Karachi mall fire in January where locked exits were cited as a factor. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed "deep sorrow and heartfelt regret," ordered an investigation, and suspended Federal Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri. "Such a situation with children is irreparable," his office said.