A fire at a maternity ward in Islamabad's Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) killed 14 infants on Wednesday, according to reports. The fire broke out around dawn on the third floor of the hospital, where newborns were being cared for.

Pakistan authorities said a faulty air conditioner caused the blaze and insisted that help arrived without delay. However, parents whose babies died disputed that account, saying they waited hours for rescue.

A mother identified as Jaweria said she cried for two hours, adding: "Rescue teams arrived too late. Police arrived after four hours and said they are here to investigate." A father, Khurram Mehmood, told AFP that the fire erupted at 6:00 am, but rescue teams and authorities reached the scene at 9:00 am. He said he lost his daughter, who was three days old.

The hospital did not immediately release further details. The incident has sparked grief and anger among the affected families, who said people at the scene were helping themselves while waiting for official responders.