Two patients die in hospital fire in northeastern Germany
Authorities said 34 others were lightly injured after a fire broke out at the Helene-von-Bulow-Klinikum in Ludwigslust.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
Two patients died and 34 other people were injured after a fire broke out at a hospital in Ludwigslust, a town in northeastern Germany, local authorities and German media said. The blaze forced staff and emergency crews to evacuate dozens of patients from the town’s only hospital.
The fire started early Thursday at the Helene-von-Bulow-Klinikum in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, according to local authorities. The facility is in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, about 40km, or 25 miles, south of the state capital, Schwerin.
Fire spread from patient room
German public broadcaster NDR reported that the fire began in a patient’s room and spread quickly to roof trusses above the hospital’s radiology department. A spokesperson for the district administration told the regional newspaper Nordkurier that both people who died were patients at the clinic.
Emergency medical services said 34 people had minor injuries, mainly from smoke inhalation. Authorities said none of the injured were believed to be in life-threatening condition.
DPA reported that emergency workers evacuated 82 patients from the building as heavy smoke moved through the hospital complex. Images published by local media showed patients in gowns being moved outside on beds and in wheelchairs to lawns and pavements near the facility while firefighters worked at the scene.
More than 100 responders deployed
More than 100 emergency personnel were sent to the hospital, according to reports from the scene. Local police said the fire was later brought under control.
The hospital’s emergency room was closed for a period during the response, then reopened, according to local reports. Hospital management plans to resume operations in parts of the building that were not affected by the fire once safety checks are finished.
The Rostock Police Headquarters has opened an investigation. Police said the cause of the initial fire in the room had not yet been determined.
The disruption is significant for Ludwigslust because the Helene-von-Bulow-Klinikum is the town’s only hospital. Authorities had not reported any life-threatening injuries among the survivors, but the evacuation and smoke damage interrupted care across the facility.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.