04/03/2023 06:40 (act. 04/03/2023 06:40)
Around 100 emergency services were mobilized overnight ©APA/dpa
Three patients and a nurse were seriously injured in a fire at a clinic in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Among the patients is a woman who was trapped in an elevator at the time of the fire and suffered serious injuries, the fire department said late on Monday. According to him, a total of about 40 people were treated, some classified as having minor injuries, with suspicion of smoke intoxication in several cases.
In addition, two firefighters were slightly injured during the operation, the fire department said. About 100 emergency services were at the scene of the fire in Kreuzberg overnight. According to a spokesman for the fire department, the fire appears to have started with the burning of hospital beds in the corridor. It was initially unclear how they could catch fire. Police say a suspicious man has been arrested and arson cannot be ruled out. Smoke spread over eight floors of the clinic building and the rescue center was evacuated. The flames were eventually put out.
The fire surprised people at the clinic in the middle of the night. “We had to evacuate the entire rescue center,” said a spokesman for Berlin’s fire department. “It’s lucky we were able to save the woman from the elevator and there were no more serious injuries.”
According to its website, Vivantes Klinikum Am Urbano has twelve outpatient clinics, an emergency room center and 614 beds. About 65,000 patients are treated there every year. A total of around 300 doctors and 605 nurses look after the well-being of patients.