Lower Saxony
Two dead after fire in hospital in Uelzen
One person has died in a fire in a hospital in the town of Uelzen in Lower Saxony. photo
© Philipp Schulze/dpa
A fire breaks out in a hospital in Uelzen. Even if the flames can be put out quickly, help comes too late for two people.
After the fire in a hospital in the Lower Saxony city Another person died in Uelzen late on Thursday evening. The hospital company announced this on Friday. Initially, the emergency services reported one death and numerous injuries.
“We are deeply saddened to announce that one patient has died as a result of the fire,” said a spokesman for Helios Kliniken Schwerin GmbH on Friday. One person is currently still missing. Eight patients were seriously injured and 16 others were slightly or moderately injured, it said. “Our condolences and thoughts are with the families of the deceased and the injured patients.”
The fire broke out on the third floor of the clinic and spread to several patient rooms. Numerous people were rescued from the hospital, some using ladders. Around 140 rescue workers were on duty, as a spokesman for the fire department said on Friday night. Accordingly, the injured suffered smoke inhalation and burns. The fire had been extinguished.
According to the fire department, the rescue service set up a collection point where the patients were examined. They were then distributed to other wards of the clinic or taken to surrounding hospitals. It was initially not known how many people in total were affected by the fire and its effects.
According to initial estimates, the total damage could be more than one million euros, the police said. The area around the scene of the fire is therefore temporarily unusable. The cause of the fire was initially unclear. The police seized the scene of the fire and searched for clues.