By Jonathan Penschek, dpa I Friday, Jan. 04, 2024
UELZEN – Four people have died in a fire at a hospital in the northern German town of Uelzen, a police spokesman said on Friday.
Three victims died at the scene, he said, while another person was taken to a different hospital for treatment and died there.
The police spokesman said the number of injured was in the double digits, but would not be more specific.
The fire broke out on the third floor of the hospital late on Thursday evening. The blaze then spread to several patient rooms.
Numerous people had to be rescued from the hospital. Around 140 emergency responders were deployed to the scene. The injured suffered smoke inhalation and burns. The fire was extinguished quickly.
The fire brigade said the emergency services set up a collection point where the patients were examined. They were then distributed to other wards in the hospital or taken to neighbouring hospitals.
Initial estimates put the total damage at more than €1 million ($1.09 million), according to the police. The cause of the fire was initially unclear.
The police searched for evidence at the scene. “We are investigating in all directions for the time being,” said the police spokesman.
The hospital announced that the fire at Helios Klinikum Uelzen meant that no patients could be admitted up to and including Friday, January 12, 2024.
