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At least 11 newborn babies die in fire in Baghdad hospital – local TV At least 12 newborn babies die in fire in Baghdad hospital
(about 4 hours later)
Eleven newborn babies died from smoke inhalation in Baghdad when a fire engulfed a hospital in the Iraqi capital, a local broadcaster has reported, citing a Health Ministry representative. Twelve newborn babies died from smoke inhalation in Baghdad when a fire engulfed a hospital in the Iraqi capital, local authorities said.
“The fire broke out at one of the women’s departments at the Baghdad’s hospital Al Yarmouk. Eleven newborn babies died as a result,” the spokesman told As-Sumariya, a local satellite broadcaster, adding that 29 female patients and seven children had to be sent to other hospitals. Fathers searched for their missing newborns and wives at the scene, as relatives gathered outside the hospital putting the blame for the blaze on the Iraqi government. Forensic investigators were looking through the charred debris at the maternity ward itself.
Other sources on social media put the number of the dead babies higher, at 20, citing local police. The head of the hospital, Saad Hatem Ahmed, said that the initial cause of the fire had been faulty electrical wiring, adding that 29 female patients and eight babies had to be sent to another hospital.
The Health Ministry spokesman said that the rescuers had managed to extinguish the fire that, according to preliminary reports, broke out as a result of an electrical short circuit. Local authorities blocked the hospital area at first, barring access to the press, but they later opened the facility to journalists.
A 30-year-old construction worker identified as Hussein Omar lost his newborn twins in the blaze, a baby boy and a baby girl. The hospital authorities sent him to other hospitals to look for his children, but all he saw was burnt pieces of human flesh.
“I want my baby boy and girl back. The government must give them back to me,” Omar told AP, while crying.
Another woman called Shaima Hassan was left in shock after losing her two-day-old son in the fire. She is 36 and had spent the last year trying to conceive.
Hassan described the situation inside the hospital when the blaze broke out to AP.
“People started screaming, ‘Fire, fire’ and running,” said Hassan.
She and her husband tried to run to the room for newborns, but were stopped by a thick wall of smoke.
“Then someone broke a window and threw me out,” she said.