12 Infants Killed in Hospital Fire in Baghdad

Medical officials and security authorities in Iraq report that at least 12 premature infants lost their lives due to a fire in the maternity ward of one of Baghdad's largest hospitals late Tuesday night. According to a medical official in Baghdad quoted by AFP, only seven infants were rescued and transferred to another hospital in the city. The spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Health stated that the fire at Yarmouk Hospital, located in western Baghdad, occurred shortly after midnight due to a technical failure in the hospital's electrical network. He mentioned that 29 women patients who were hospitalized in the same ward were evacuated and transferred to another hospital. Police have secured the hospital area so that forensic specialists can conduct their investigations into the incident. Meanwhile, angry family members of the patients have gathered around the hospital, waiting for more information from the authorities. Several incubators for premature infants that were burned in the fire can be seen near one of the hospital doors, which police have prohibited entry to. Due to the age of the infants and the inability to identify the bodies that were burned in the fire, the mourning of parents and relatives is more intense. One person gathered around the hospital said that a relative gave birth on Tuesday. The infant perished in the fire, and the mother suffered burns. This middle-aged woman said, 'I am looking for our child. They told me to go find him in the fridge. I found the baby in a small cardboard box, but I am not sure if he is our baby or a piece of burnt cotton. It looks like charcoal.' While crying heavily, she added, 'We just want our baby; someone needs to give him to us.' AFP adds that an official from the Ministry of Interior also confirmed the number of infant casualties and stated that three other infants are being treated for smoke inhalation poisoning. Many hospitals in Baghdad are in poor condition, and the medical services they provide are below acceptable medical standards. For this reason, those who can afford it travel abroad for important treatments. The lack of adequate public services, including healthcare, water, and electricity, has caused public anger, leading to numerous protests over the past year. An official from Baghdad's health department stated that this hospital is very old. A member of the medical staff at Yarmouk Hospital, who wished to remain anonymous, said a thorough investigation will be conducted regarding this tragic incident. Following a bombing last month in the Karada neighborhood of Baghdad that resulted in at least 323 deaths, the Iraqi government faced severe criticism. The explosion of explosives placed in a truck caused shops on both sides of a busy street to catch fire, which accounted for a significant portion of the casualties from this bombing, for which the 'Islamic State' claimed responsibility. Witnesses of that incident reported that firefighting units responded very slowly to the fire. Iraq possesses one of the richest oil resources and is one of the world's most important oil exporters, but ongoing war and crisis have prevented the income from this wealth from improving the living conditions of the people.