More than 300 patients, including newborns, evacuated because of a fire in Suceava-based hospital

More than 300 patients hospitalized at the Suceava County Emergency Hospital (SJU) were evacuated, on Wednesday night to Thursday, because of a fire, the spokesperson of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISU) Suceava, Alin Galeata, informed, Agerpres reports.

The fire broke out on the fourth floor of the hospital, where the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology operates, with no casualties.

During the intervention, 329 patients were evacuated by the military firefighters and the hospital staff, out of whom 102 children (57 newborns). Patients were evacuated to the lower floor wards and to the Emergency Department. They did not suffer any medical problems caused by burns or poisoning with smoke and toxic gases.

The fire was located at 0.42 am, and it was extinguished ten minutes later.

The probable cause of the flames was the heating effect of electric current, generated by an electrical appliance part of the ventilation unit, which did not function properly.