President: 11 babies killed in fire at Senegalese hospital

By CHEIKH A.T. SY and BABACAR DIONE
Associated Press

TIVAOUANE, Senegal (AP) — Senegal’s president says 11 newborns have died in a fire that broke out in the neonatal unit of a hospital. Authorities in the town of Tivaouane said only three babies could be saved after a short circuit caused the blaze. In a tweet late Wednesday, President Macky Sall expressed his condolences to the families of the babies who died. The tragedy comes a year after four other newborns died in a hospital fire in Linguere in northern Senegal. A series of other deaths also have raised concerns about maternal and infant health in the West African nation known for having some of the best hospitals in the region.