TIVAOUANE, Senegal -
Police have been on guard and close by residents and oldsters stood mourning outdoors a hospital in Senegal the place a fireplace within the neonatal unit killed 11 newborns. Solely three infants could possibly be saved, President Macky Sall mentioned earlier than calling on Thursday for 3 days of mourning for the younger lives misplaced.
Mamadou Mbaye, who witnessed the fireplace Wednesday on the Abdoul Aziz Sy Dabakh Hospital in Tivaouane, a city 120 kilometers (75 miles) northeast of the capital, Dakar, advised The Related Press that situations contained in the hospital have been "atrocious."
"It was scorching and smoky inside with a suffocating warmth, and there was an influence outage," Mbaye mentioned.
Grieving dad and mom have been nonetheless in shock.
"I baptized my baby on Wednesday and he was baptized right here within the hospital. To my nice shock, I acquired a name to inform me that the neonatal part had been destroyed by a fireplace," mentioned Badara Faye, who misplaced his son.
Moustapha Cisse, who additionally misplaced a new child, mentioned they're nonetheless awaiting solutions on how such a tragic hearth may take the lives of their youngsters.
The fireplace was blamed on an electrical brief circuit, based on Mayor Demba Diop.
Inside Minister Antoine Diome introduced that authorities can be opening an investigation into the situation of the hospital's services in addition to different well being care facilities, Senegalese media reported.
President Sall referred to as for 3 days of mourning.
"To their moms and households, I categorical my deepest sympathy," Sall had tweeted upon listening to the information of the fireplace.
His chief of workers, minister Augustin Tine, visited the stays of the hospital Thursday.
"We have now come to be near the folks, specifically the dad and mom," he mentioned. We have now come to share the struggling, he added, "to share our condolences and to say once more it's a misfortune that has hit our nation, however we maintain our religion."
The lethal hearth comes a 12 months after 4 different newborns died in a hospital hearth in Linguere in northern Senegal.
A sequence of different deaths even have raised issues about maternal and toddler well being within the West African nation identified for having among the finest hospitals within the area.
Earlier this month, authorities found a child that had been declared lifeless by a nurse's aide was nonetheless alive in a morgue. The toddler later died.
Final 12 months a pregnant girl died in Louga, within the north of the nation, after ready in useless for a cesarean part. Three midwives got six-month suspended sentences for not giving assist to an individual at risk.
Well being Minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, who was attending the World Well being Meeting in Geneva, minimize brief his journey to return to Senegal.
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