Police in the southern Vietnamese province of Ca Mau are investigating the death of a baby who died in front of a local health center after she was born on Tuesday.

Initial information shows that at around 10.30 pm. on Tuesday, Nguyen Tan Em and his mother brought his wife, Nguyen Hoai Nhan, to the health center of Thanh Phu Commune for delivery.

However, no one opened the door, although they called out to the health workers many times.

Em then ran to the houses of two health workers who live nearby, but again, no one responded to him.

At around 11.10 p.m. Nhan gave birth to a girl on the premises of the health center.

The husband and his mother then asked locals to help cut her umbilical cord, but the baby died of suffocation, police said.

According to police, Dr. Nguyen Thia, chief of the health center and four health workers were on duty during the night shift that day.

In a phone interview, Thia said that the family failed to read an instruction signboard to call health workers and ring the bell as instructed.

The case is being investigated further.