A fire tore through a hospital in the town of Ludwigslust, in northeastern Germany, in the early hours of Thursday, killing two patients and injuring dozens of others in a blaze that forced the evacuation of the building, authorities said.
What happened
The fire began around 4:30 a.m. local time, apparently in a patient room, and spread upward into the roof structure over part of the hospital, Al Jazeera reported, citing German broadcaster NDR. Two patients died, and about 34 people were hurt, most suffering from smoke inhalation, Xinhua reported; officials said none of the injuries were considered life-threatening. These are early figures and could change as authorities complete their assessment.
The evacuation
Emergency crews carried out a large evacuation as smoke filled parts of the building, moving patients — some in beds and wheelchairs — to safety. Roughly 80 patients were evacuated, and more than 100 emergency personnel, including firefighters from several volunteer brigades, responded to bring the fire under control, according to accounts from German and international outlets. The hospital is the main one serving Ludwigslust, a town in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and officials said they were working to continue care in unaffected areas and transfer patients as needed.
The investigation
Police have opened an investigation, and authorities said the cause of the fire had not yet been determined. Officials cautioned against speculation while the inquiry proceeds. Hospital fires are especially dangerous because many patients cannot move on their own and evacuations must be carried out quickly and carefully — factors that make the relatively contained toll, amid a pre-dawn blaze, a reflection of how fast crews reached the scene. Investigators were expected to examine the origin of the initial room fire in the days ahead.
