Fire At Perinatal Center In Baku Kills Four Infants

Firefighters evacuate patients at the Perinatal Center in Baku after a fire broke out early on January 9.

A fire at the Perinatal Center in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, killed four infants early on January 9. Three persons were hospitalized for smoke inhalation, emergency officials said, while hundreds of patients and medical personnel were evacuated from the building. Prosecutor-General Kamran Aliyev told journalists that preliminary investigations revealed the fire may have been caused by a malfunction of an electricity system. A probe has been launched into whether negligence caused two or more deaths and whether fire-safety violations occurred. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, click here.