Two reported killed, dozens hurt in hospital fire in Germany | Construction News
Fire Erupts at Ludwigslust Hospital, Two Patients Dead and 34 Injured
LUDWIGSLUST, Germany (AP) — A fire at the Helene-von-Bulow-Klinikum, the only hospital in the northeastern town of Ludwigslust, has resulted in the deaths of two patients and injuries to 34 others, local authorities reported Thursday.
The blaze began early in the morning and quickly spread from a patient’s room to the roof trusses above the hospital’s radiology department, as reported by the German public broadcaster NDR.
According to a spokesperson for the district administration, the deceased were patients at the hospital. Emergency medical services indicated that the 34 injured individuals, primarily suffering from smoke inhalation, are not in life-threatening condition.
The DPA news agency covered the extensive evacuation of 82 patients from the facility as thick smoke permeated the complex. Photographs from local media showed patients being wheeled out on beds and wheelchairs onto the lawns and pavements as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.
More than 100 emergency personnel responded to the incident, and local police have confirmed that the fire has been brought under control. The hospital’s emergency department was temporarily closed but has since reopened.
Hospital management plans to resume operations in the unaffected areas of the facility pending safety inspections.
Authorities from the Rostock Police Headquarters have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, which remains undetermined at this time.
Ludwigslust is located in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Schwerin, the state capital.