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Eleven babies have died in a fire in the Senegalese city of Tivauan, state President Macky Sall has said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The fire broke out in the maternity department, Sall said through a Twitter post.<\/p>\n
Initial reports suggest the fire was caused by a short circuit, according to Senegalese politicians.<\/p>\n
Three babies have been rescued from the fire, local authorities have said.<\/p>\n
The fire has spread very quickly and emergency services are still at the scene.<\/p>\n
The hospital was recently inaugurated, the AFP news agency reported, citing local reports.<\/p>\n
President Sall expressed his condolences to the mothers and families of the babies.<\/p>\n
“The situation is very unfortunate and extremely painful,” said Health Minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr.<\/p>\n
The incident has sparked a wave of criticism on social media about the state’s care for the health sector.<\/p>\n
A similar incident occurred last year in Senegal, after four babies died as a result of a fire at a maternity hospital.<\/p>\n
Authorities at the time said electricity and an air cooler were to blame for the fire.<\/p>\n
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