A fire at a hospital in the Iraqi capital has killed 11 babies, officials have said.

The blaze started late on Tuesday night inside the maternity wing of the Yarmouk hospital, situated in western Baghdad.

Seven other children and 29 women were rescued from the blaze. One doctor said some of the babies killed were born prematurely.

Three other newborns survived and were treated for smoke inhalation.

The blaze was extinguished by firefighters and those brought out to safety transferred to other hospitals.

Ahmed al-Roudaini, a spokesman for the country's health ministry, said initial findings of an investigation into the cause of the fire suggested an electrical short circuit was to blame.

One grief-stricken father, Hussein Omar, a 30-year-old construction worker, said his week-old twins were killed in the fire.

"I want my baby boy and girl back. The government must give them back to me," he said, in tears.

Shaima Hassan, who conceived after years, trembled in shock as she mourned the loss of her two-day-old son.

"I waited for ages to have this baby, and when I finally had him it took only a second to lose him," said the 36-year-old.

She also she was still in shock but felt very bitter.

"It's a corrupt government that doesn't care about its citizens and lets this happen," she said.

Electrical fires are common in Baghdad - and elsewhere across the country - because of poor maintenance and wiring.

A lack of fire escapes in buildings also reportedly contributes to the dangers of a blaze.