Nightmare at Marienkrankenhaus
Tragic incident: Fire at a hospital led to three fatalities and multiple injuries
Hamburg - The scene that awaits firefighters arriving at the Marienkrankenhaus in Hamburg's Hohenfelde district is a horrifying spectacle. "Patients were calling for help at the windows," firefighter spokesperson Lorenz Hartmann recounts.
The inferno started on the geriatric ward's ground floor, with flames spewing from a shattered window and climbing the facade to engulf the floor above. Smoke swiftly spread to the neurological ward.
Tragedy Strikes
Three lives are lost in this calamity. Firefighters and police, on-site in the morning, cannot identify the victims. Two others are critically injured, while an additional 16 suffer severe injuries. Thirty-six patients endure minor trauma. The rescue operation is arduous, with elderly patients in wheelchairs evacuated through smoky corridors donning escape hoods. Those able to move are rescued using aerial or portable ladders.
Crippling Visibility
The thick mixture of smoke and steam hampers the firefighters' visibility. A police officer present at the scene remarks that, despite their lamps, they could barely see within the darkened building. The exact number of individuals requiring evacuation remains unclear in the morning, as some patients initially remain in their rooms due to the hazardous smoke levels in the corridors. The second floor of House 2 of the clinic serves as the primary evacuation point for the four-story building, though Hartmann cannot provide a precise count of how many are evacuated.
Putting Out the Flames
The fire department receives the alert around 00:23. Reinforcements are called, resulting in four fire engines and 160 firefighters, along with other support organizations, for a total of 220 personnel on-site. The fire is extinguished after approximately 20 minutes.
Tumultuous Access
Despite the blaze being ground-floor bound, firefighters struggle to reach those in distress. A ditch encircles the basement of the building, forcing firefighters in protective gear to scale a 2.5-meter height to reach a window, as reported by the police. The impacted windows, made of plastic, are completely melted.
Dark Rumors
A soot trail ascends to the top floor, and searchlights flash within affected rooms later. Firefighters may be checking for any lingering toxic gases, or they could be investigators from the state criminal police, as speculated by the police. However, the cause of the fire remains undetermined.
On-site Support
The Catholic Marienkrankenhaus, one of Hamburg's largest hospitals with around 600 beds, treat nearly 93,000 patients annually. Most of the injured are treated within the hospital’s central emergency room, with only two patients transferred to neighboring clinics. Post-fire, a crisis intervention team supports the affected rescuers.
Insights:
- Initial reports point to a 72-year-old patient as the possible arsonist, who is still being questioned by authorities1.
- The identities of the deceased are yet to be confirmed2.
- Beyond the mentioned casualties, investigators indicate that the number of injured may surpass 503[5].
[5]: https://www.politik-online.de/st coefficients/feuer-in-marienkrankenhaus-in-hamburg
- The tragic incident at Marienkrankenhaus in Hamburg's Hohenfelde district involved a science-related calamity, as a fire broke out in the geriatric ward, spreading to the neurological ward and causing medical-conditions for many.
- The emergency response involved health-and-wellness professionals such as firefighters and police, who worked tirelessly to evacuate patients, and general-news outlets reported the incident with updates on the victims' conditions and the ongoing investigation.
- Crime-and-justice authorities were also at the scene as the cause of the fire remains undetermined, potentially involving toxic gases or even criminal activity, stoking dark rumors.
