Siamese twins Nunik 1 and Nunik 2 die

Female Siamese twins died on Thursday at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) due to their sharing one heart and one liver.

The babies, who were born in Bogor on May 30 and joined at the chest and abdomen, died before they were due to undergo major surgery to separate them.

Pediatrician department chief, doctor Asril Aminullah, said on Friday that it would have been almost impossible for the team of 35 doctors to separate a single heart and a liver in order to save both babies' lives.

The twins, dubbed Nunik 1 and Nunik 2, born to Dedeh, a local resident of Bogor, weighed 5.6 kilograms and were 41 centimeters long.

Another pair of female Siamese twins, Ferina and Ferini, are reportedly in good condition.

"They will undergo a second operation to separate them," Asril said, declining to mention the date of the surgery.

The first surgery to construct a rectum took place early this month to protect them from possible complications.

Ferina and Ferini were born in Serang, Banten, on April 12 from mother Nuni and father Nurul Falah.

"The team of doctors will let them return home in the near future before the major surgery takes place," Asril said.

Experts say in every 40,000 births there will be one pair of Siamese twins. Siamese twins are more likely to be female than male, at a ratio of 3:1. -- JP