Several Dead, Many Injured, In German Hospital Fire
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
HAMBURG, GERMANY (Worthy News) – Germany was mourning Friday four people who died after a fire broke out at a hospital near the northern city of Hamburg, with patients pleading for help and fears the death toll could rise.
Emergency workers saw flames on the fourth floor of a wing of the building in Uelzen, southeast of Hamburg when they arrived at the scene late Thursday evening.
Amid cries for help, emergency personnel evacuated several people and were able to stop the fire from spreading any further, officials said.
Police said that three patients died at the scene and a fourth after being taken to another hospital.
It wasn’t immediately what caused the fire at a time when the nation was still celebrating the New Year. All who died were patients, German media reported.
Around 20 people were said to be injured, and police warned that “the number of dead could rise given the seriousness of some injuries.”
Witnesses saw some 140 firefighters and rescue workers, including some from neighboring districts, fighting to contain the enormous blaze.
People were rescued from the clinic, some using ladders, witnesses explained.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the reason for the fire, estimated to have caused more than 1 million euros ($1.1 million) in damages.
Hospital fires are rare in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, which has strict safety rules.
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