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Fire alarm in Hamburg: three dead and dozens injured in hospital!
Fire in Hamburg clinic claims three lives and dozens of injuries. Rescue measures successfully completed.
Fire alarm in Hamburg: three dead and dozens injured in hospital!
On the night of June 1, 2025, there was a devastating fire in the Marienklinik in Hamburg-Hohenfelde in which three innocent patients, all adults, lost their lives. More than 50 people suffered injuries, two of them in life-threatening condition, 16 serious and 36 minor. The flames started on the ground floor of a room in the geriatric ward and quickly spread to the first floor and all four floors of the affected building. The fire department was on site with around 160 firefighters and was able to extinguish the fire after around 20 minutes. Rescue measures were initiated immediately, with numerous patients being brought to safety using turntable ladders and escape routes. Many shouted for help from their windows as the hospital was evacuated. The injured received medical care in the hospital's emergency room and in surrounding facilities.
The Marienklinik is one of the largest denominational hospitals in Northern Germany and treats around 93,000 patients every year. The incident shocked the public and raised questions about safety in medical facilities. A look at the current fire statistics shows that fires in hospitals, nursing homes and social facilities will continue to be a serious problem in Germany in 2024. According to that bvfa - Federal Association of Technical Fire Protection e.V. - there were 114 fire incidents in hospitals in 2024 alone, with 7 deaths and 148 injuries. These are alarming figures that indicate a consistently high risk of fire.
The causes of fire and the role of fire protection technology
The most common causes of these fires are negligent or intentional arson (43%), technical defects in electrical systems or devices (31%) and risky smoking near oxygen devices (15%). A central problem is the uncontrolled spread of toxic fire smoke, which is often promoted by inadequate structural fire protection measures or organizational deficiencies. Despite the proven effectiveness of sprinkler systems, which are widely used in countries such as Great Britain and the USA, such systems are hardly present in many German nursing and retirement homes.
Another incident that addresses the issue of fire safety in medical facilities occurred on the same day in the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Northeim. A fire broke out in the attic of a side wing there in the morning, the cause of which is still being investigated. Fortunately, patients were not in danger, but ten people had to be transferred from adjacent wards, some of which was carried out using helicopters and ambulances. The attic of the affected part of the building, which houses rooms for emergency patients and the intensive care unit, was flooded with foam until the afternoon to finally extinguish the fire. The fire brigade was deployed with over 400 emergency services.
These two fires make it clear that, despite great efforts in the area of fire protection in hospitals and care facilities, there is still a significant need for action to ensure the safety of patients and staff. To prevent future tragedies, there is an urgent need to analyze the causes of fires and further improve fire safety measures in these sensitive facilities.