BAGHDAD, Iraq — At least 11 babies died when a fire broke out in the maternity ward of a Baghdad hospital early Wednesday, the Iraqi Health Ministry said.
The babies were in the pre-term birth unit in Yarmouk Hospital and died of suffocation, said Ahmed al-Rdainy, a spokesman for the ministry.
A preliminary report provided by the Civil Defense indicates the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit.
Amateur footage from the scene, circulated on social media, showed nervous families congregating outside the maternity ward. Other footage showed firefighters entering the charred, water-logged building, and ambulances racing victims to other hospitals for treatment.
Twenty-nine women delivered babies at the hospital Tuesday night, the spokesman said. They were all transferred to other hospitals in Baghdad.
