Romania maternity hospital fire kills newborn babies
Babies and mothers were rescued from the maternity hospital
A fire in a Romanian maternity hospital has killed three newborn babies and left others clinging to life.
The fire, apparently caused by an electrical fault, swept through the Giulesti hospital in Bucharest on Monday.
"Unfortunately we have to announce that three newborns were killed," Romanian Health Minister Raed Arafat said.
Two pregnant women and eight babies also sustained serious burns and were taken elsewhere for treatment.
Dan George Enescu, head of the Bucharest children's hospital, described the surviving babies' condition as "extremely critical".
"Those prematurely born babies have burns covering 70-80% of their bodies... It is too much for them. They are just five days old," he said.
Romania's healthcare system is often regarded as one of the worst in the European Union.
The BBC's Oana Lungescu reported last week on how chronic underfunding and a brain-drain of medical staff could put patients at risk.