Iran: Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has expressed condolences to Pakistan over the deaths of at least 14 newborn babies in a fire at a hospital in the capital, Islamabad.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, in a message on Wednesday, Baqaei conveyed the sympathy of the Iranian government and people to the victims' families, as well as to the government and people of neighboring Pakistan. He prayed for patience for the bereaved parents and wished those injured a speedy recovery.

The fire broke out earlier Wednesday in the maternity ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad's largest public hospital. Hospital authorities confirmed that 14 newborns in the intensive care unit (ICU) died in the blaze.

Investigators said the fire started after a faulty air-conditioning unit exploded inside the nursery, where the babies were receiving intensive care. Fifteen babies were in the ward at the time, hospital spokesperson Aneeza Jalil told the Dawn newspaper. A doctor managed to rescue one of them.

Pakistan's Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said many of the babies were in incubators or receiving oxygen, adding that the oxygen canisters intensified the fire. The health minister said the incident was being investigated by 'experts, different institutions including us', adding that 'nothing will remain hidden and all facts will be unearthed.