Five dead, many injured after hospital fire in northern Germany

A total of five people are dead after a fire at a hospital in the northern German town of Uelzen, a police spokesman said on Friday.

Three victims died at the scene, he said, while another person was taken to a different hospital for treatment and died there. A fifth person succumbed to their injuries in hospítal on Friday afternoon, a police spokesman said late Friday.

The police spokesman initially said the number of injured was in the double digits, but would not be more specific.

According to the hospital, six people were seriously injured and 16 others were slightly or moderately injured.

The fire broke out on the third floor of the hospital late on Thursday evening. The blaze then spread to several patient rooms.

Numerous people had to be rescued. Around 140 emergency responders were deployed to the scene.

The injured suffered smoke inhalation and burns. The fire was extinguished quickly.

The fire brigade said the emergency services set up a collection point where the patients were examined. They were then distributed to other wards in the hospital or taken to neighbouring hospitals.

Initial estimates put the total damage at more than €1 million ($1.09 million), according to the police. The cause of the fire remains unclear.

The police searched for evidence at the scene. "We are investigating in all directions for the time being," said the police spokesman.

The hospital announced that the fire at Helios Klinikum Uelzen meant that no patients could be admitted up to and including Friday, January 12, 2024.