Fire disaster in the Marienklinik: three dead, 40 injured!

Fire disaster in the Marienklinik: three dead, 40 injured!

On Sunday night, a tragic fire disaster occurred in the Marienklinik in Hamburg-Hohenfelde, claiming the lives of three elderly patients. The victims are men aged 84, 85 and 87. Around 40 other people suffered injuries, including one patient with life-threatening injuries and 18 seriously and 15 slightly injured people. The fire broke out shortly after midnight on the ground floor of the geriatric ward, although the exact cause is still unclear. The flames quickly spread to the upper floors and caused smoke to spread to all four floors of the building.

The Hamburg fire department was on site with around 220 emergency services and was able to quickly bring the fire under control. However, rescuing the patients proved difficult due to the mobility limitations of many of those affected. Firefighters used escape hoods, portable ladders and turntable ladders to bring patients to safety. Parts of the hospital had to be evacuated, while the remaining inpatient and outpatient care areas were able to continue as normal. Hamburg's Health Senator, Melanie Schlotzhauer, was affected and thanked the rescue workers for their efforts. The Archdiocese of Hamburg also called on believers to pray for the victims, and Archbishop Stefan Heße expressed his dismay. The Marienklinik, which treats around 93,000 patients annually and has around 600 beds, is now faced with the challenge of clarifying the exact causes of the fire.

Close cooperation with investigators

The managing director of the Marienklinik, Christoph Schmitz, emphasized that they are working closely with the investigative authorities to clarify the cause of the fire as quickly as possible. Safety is the clinic's top priority and immediate action has been taken to prevent further threats. Schmitz mentioned that steps to ensure long-term security are already planned.

The smoke development affected adjacent wards, which led to patients ready for discharge being transferred to other areas of the hospital. Although the situation was dramatic, the fire department was able to reassure that the other service areas were not affected. The rapid response of hospital staff and the fire department was instrumental in bringing the situation under control and preventing further damage.

The tragedy has had a severe impact not only on the families affected, but also on the entire healthcare community in Hamburg. The circumstances of the fire and the associated casualties will be intensively investigated in the coming days as the hospital team continues to work to provide the best possible care to patients and increase safety at the facility.

For more information on this incident, you can check out reporting from star as well as NDR see.