Seven newborns died in Perinatal Center fire: Court uncovers new details
Court proceedings continue in Baku over the tragic fire at the Republic Perinatal Center that claimed the lives of seven newborns, as new claims emerged about alleged failures in medical care after the incident.
The latest hearing in the criminal case against the former director and department heads of the Perinatal Center took place at the Baku Serious Crimes Court under Judge Leyla Asgarova-Mammadova’s chairmanship. The defendants are accused in connection with the January 2024 fire that killed seven infants and injured four others, News.Az reports, citing APA.
During the session, defense lawyers requested that medical staff who transported the newborns to other hospitals after the fire be summoned as witnesses. The defense argued that some of the babies died because doctors at the Clinical Medical Center allegedly did not provide immediate medical care or allow Perinatal Center doctors to assist.
Representatives of the victims’ families disputed this claim, stating that the babies were admitted to the Clinical Medical Center but were in critical condition. They said Perinatal Center doctors continued treating the infants there, while the Clinical Medical Center provided space and medical equipment.
The former Perinatal Center director, Mehriban Abasguliyeva, told the court that the newborns were taken to both the New Clinic and the Clinical Medical Center, but claimed Perinatal Center doctors were not allowed into the latter facility. Prosecutors opposed the defense motions, and the court rejected the requests. The next hearing is scheduled for February 4.
The case stems from a fire that broke out on January 9, 2024, in the administrative building of the Republic Perinatal Center. The blaze occurred in a fourth-floor ward housing the neonatal intensive care unit. Seven newborns died, four people were injured, and the facility sustained significant material damage.
Investigators allege that after Abasguliyeva was appointed director in December 2022, patient intake at the center was increased beyond its medical and technical capacity. This reportedly overloaded the electrical system and contributed to the fire. The investigation also found that fire safety violations — including faulty fire alarm systems, non-functioning internal fire hydrants, and electrical defects — had been identified by emergency authorities but were not addressed by management.
Abasquliyeva is charged with abuse of official authority resulting in serious consequences and violation of fire safety rules leading to multiple deaths. Former department heads Hamlet Mustafayev and Elnur Ahmadli are charged with violating fire safety regulations resulting in multiple fatalities.
The trial continues as the families of the victims seek accountability for one of the most devastating medical facility tragedies in Azerbaijan’s recent history.
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