Three Babies Killed in Maternity Hospital Explosion in Romania

An explosion at a maternity hospital in Romania's capital has killed three babies, officials said. Two pregnant women and eight newborn infants sustained burns and other injuries in the blast in Bucharest.

Photo: Three Babies Killed in Maternity Hospital Explosion in Romania

Health ministry official Raed Arafat says those injured in the blast at the Giulesti maternity hospital are being treated at other hospitals in the capital, The Press Association reports.

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, BBC News says.