All patients were connected to oxygen, they are Covid patients, in medium to severe stage

This morning a fire broke out in a building at Matei Balş Hospital. About 120 patients were evacuated. Authorities initially announced three victims and one seriously ill patient was intubated, but also died.

UPDATE 07.10 First statements by Raed Arafat: The first call to 112 for the Matei Balş fire came at 5:05, there are 4 dead, three patients died during the fire, one died afterwards.

Approximately 44 people were evacuated to the emergency hospitals, the rest were evacuated to the other rooms of the Matei Balş hospital. Of the 44 patients, two were in worse condition.

All the patients who were hospitalized were connected to oxygen, they are Covid patients, in a medium to severe stage.

The burning building was built in 1953 and modernized. The building had the necessary approvals and the most recent inspection was carried out in November, Raed Arafat said.

The DSU chief said there were no other people in critical condition and the fire was extinguished. No other people have suffered other injuries. “We no longer have burn patients,” Arafat said.

“At 5.05, 112 was called, at 5.15 the first fire department arrived and at 5:15 the red plan was declared. The fire is extinguished and we have no other seriously injured people, the cause of the fire remains to be investigated.

In the first hours there is no verdict on the cause of the fire, at this time firefighters and forensics are investigating. It can take hours or even days until the cause of the fire is found, “said Raeed Arafat, in front of the” Matei Balş “Institute.

What is known so far:

• The fire was announced at 5.05, the red plan was activated at 5.15.
• The fire was extinguished and the people inside were evacuated.
• 24 special vehicles, 4 escalators, 4 launches, 10 buses, 38 first aid kits, 5 ATI mobile teams were involved.
• There are no more patients with burns, only 4 people were affected who died and were on the ground floor of the building.
• The building was built in 1953 and later rebuilt.

The last control at the “Matei Balş” Institute took place in November last year.

Bogdan Opriţă, chief physician at SMURD Bucharest, stated that there were 38 first aid teams and 6 intensive care units at the site.

Matei Balş’s first patients arrived at Bucharest hospitals

Four patients from the Matei Balş Institute arrived at Marius Nasta Hospital and another four arrived at Victor Babeş. Four people died as a result of the fire.

Marius Nasta hospital manager Beatrice Mahler says the hospital has capacity for 36 patients. Beatrice Mahler did not provide details on the condition of the four patients who arrived.

Victor Babeş, Sfântul Ioan and Witing Hospitals were ready to receive patients.

This morning, around 5 p.m., a fire broke out in a building at Matei Balş Hospital. About 120 patients were evacuated. Authorities initially announced three victims and one seriously ill patient was intubated, but also died.

UPDATE 06:43: A preliminary assessment shows that three patients died on the ground floor of the ward where the fire broke out.

The operation to evacuate patients from the pavilion affected by the fire has been completed.

Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu heads to the hospital. In a speech at Digi24, Raed Arafat said evacuated patients will be transferred to other hospitals.

THE INITIAL NEWS

ISU Bucharest-Ilfov firefighters intervene to extinguish a fire that broke out in a ward of the Matei Balş Hospital. At the ISUBIF level, the Red Intervention Plan was launched.

The fire occurred on the ground floor of a building with a height of GF + 3, on two sides, fire officials said.

The fire was extinguished, but there were great smoke vapors throughout the building.

Rescue teams set up search and rescue teams, and according to early information, there were around 100 people in the building at the time of the fire.

“All the resources available to rescue people are in place: ambulances, special vehicles for multiple victims, mobile hospital, liberation,” said ISUBIF.

The injured patients were transferred in SMURD ambulances and will be transferred to other hospitals.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

COVID-19 patients are treated at the “Matei Balş” Institute in Bucharest.