A fire at a hospital in Pakistan that killed 14 newborn babies has prompted conflicting accounts over whether the ward door was locked as the blaze spread.
Several witnesses told the BBC they found the ward door locked during the emergency, saying this prevented access to the infants. Those accounts suggest relatives and staff trying to reach the babies could not enter quickly, according to the witnesses.
An official from the hospital told the BBC the door was not locked but was manned by security guards, whose stated purpose was to protect the infants from unauthorised access. The official’s description directly contradicts the witness statements about a locked door.
It was not immediately clear which version of events is accurate. The BBC report presents both the witness claims and the hospital official’s explanation, underscoring unanswered questions about the circumstances that surrounded the deaths of the 14 newborns.