This archive report was first published on 24 September 2019.
On September 24, 2019, a devastating fire swept through a maternity hospital in Oued Souf, Algeria, claiming the lives of eight babies.
According to Captain Nassim Bernaoui, a spokesman for the emergency services, 11 babies, 107 women, and 28 staff members were rescued from the hospital, which is located 500 kilometers southeast of Algiers.
"We managed to rescue 11 babies, 107 women and 28 staff," Bernaoui told AFP. "Unfortunately we regret the deaths of eight babies, some from burns and others from smoke inhalation."
Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui ordered an inquiry into the fire and dispatched Health Minister Mohamed Miraoui to the scene. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.
The hospital, one of five in Oued Souf, had previously suffered a fire in May 2018, which caused significant damage but no casualties. The hospital is also home to a specialist eye hospital staffed by Cuban doctors.
