Hospital fire kills 12 premature babies

At least 12 premature babies have been killed in a fire at a hospital in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, officials say. It took three hours to put out the blaze, which broke out overnight inside the maternity unit at the Yarmouk Hospital, in the city’s west. Eight other children and 29 women had to be […]

At least 12 premature babies have been killed in a fire at a hospital in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, officials say.
It took three hours to put out the blaze, which broke out overnight inside the maternity unit at the Yarmouk Hospital, in the city’s west.
Eight other children and 29 women had to be moved from the unit and transferred to nearby hospitals.
The health ministry said the fire was probably caused by an electrical fault.
An adviser to the health ministry, Dr Amir al-Mukhtar, said there had been 20 babies inside the maternity unit when the fire erupted around midnight. The blaze spread very quickly and caused a lot of damage, he added.