Three dead in fire at Hamburg hospital

All three victims of the hospital fire in Hamburg were adults, a fire department spokesperson told the German Press Agency. A total of 34 people were injured, emergency services told the AFP news agency.

Parts of the hospital in the northern German metropolis had to be evacuated due to a fire in one of the hospital buildings. Some of the injured patients were treated in the hospital's emergency room or taken to nearby hospitals. Rescue efforts have now been completed, and the fire has been extinguished, the spokesperson said early this morning.

Patients called for help at the windows

For reasons still unclear, the fire broke out on the ground floor of the hospital in a room on the geriatric ward. This department specializes in the care of elderly patients. The flames then spread to the first floor. The full extent of the damage is still unclear.

The fire department spokesperson said the smoke caused by the fire on the ground floor had spread to all four floors of the affected building. The fire department deployed a large contingent of approximately 160 emergency personnel to the scene. The victims were rescued using turntable ladders, portable ladders, and through the hallways using so-called escape hoods. "Several people, patients, were at the windows, calling for help," the fire department spokesperson said. The fire was extinguished after about 20 minutes.

According to its own information, the Marienkrankenhaus is one of the largest denominational hospitals in Northern Germany. It has approximately 600 beds and treats approximately 93,000 patients annually.

pg/AR (dpa, afp)