Torrevieja Hospital Fire - 2 Injured + 10 Treated Smoke Inhalation

[Carl]

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Two injured after a fire at Torrevieja Hospital that forces the evacuation of the second floor

The patient in the room where the fire originated suffered burns to 40% of his body and had to be airlifted to Valencia, while another remains in the ICU due to smoke inhalation, in addition to ten workers treated and 90 people relocated.

The second floor of the University Hospital of Torrevieja had to be evacuated after a fire broke out this Friday at 12:09 pm.

The fire originated in room 277, in the second right wing, where the patient was injured with second and third degree burns on 40% of his body, so he was transferred by helicopter to the burn unit of the La Fe Hospital in Valencia, which is a national reference.

The patient in the room opposite, number 278, has been admitted to the ICU for smoke inhalation with a guarded prognosis .

In addition, ten workers, including healthcare, security, and cleaning staff, were treated for smoke inhalation after participating in the rescue and evacuation efforts. One of them, a nursing assistant who performed heroic work - according to her colleagues - is in intensive care, although her condition is improving.

Causes

According to initial investigations, which are still awaiting official confirmation, the fire department has ruled out a technical cause for the fire, and everything points to a possible human factor as the cause, probably due to negligence on the part of a patient, although other hypotheses suggest that it may be due to the oxygen bottle.

Performances

Five fire crews from the Torrevieja and Orihuela fire stations were dispatched to the scene and worked to extinguish the blaze until it was brought under control around 1:20 p.m. Afterwards, they focused on ventilating the affected area to remove smoke and gases.

Five hours later, at 5:18 p.m., a fire crew of one corporal and three firefighters remained on scene, continuing ventilation efforts. Two hours later - seven hours after it started - the provincial fire consortium declared the fire extinguished, at 7:00 p.m.

Numerous patrols from the Civil Guard and the Local Police have also been present since the beginning, as well as the Councilor for Emergencies, Federico Alarcón, and the Councilor for Health, Rosa María Cañón.

Evacuation

The evacuation of the second floor, which houses the Maternity, Oncology, and Internal Medicine departments, was carried out as a precaution while the extent of the fire was assessed and the area secured. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, smoke spread. As a result, 90 patients had to be relocated, who "are now perfectly accommodated in other rooms," explained the Minister of Health, Marciano Gómez , who traveled to the hospital to closely monitor the situation and learn firsthand about the condition of those affected.

In a press conference at 4 p.m., he stressed that " the safety and purity of the air is the first thing we want for our patients so that they can breathe without any trace of CO2."

In a press conference at 4 p.m., he stressed that " the safety and purity of the air is the first thing we want for our patients so that they can breathe without any trace of CO2."

Resources

The incident has also led the regional health authority to mobilize resources from the interdepartmental health group of southern Alicante, which includes the hospitals of Orihuela and Elche, to care for patients who cannot be treated in Torrevieja.

Gómez stated that the emergency department continues to operate normally, although scheduled appointments for Rehabilitation and Radiology, located on the affected floor, have been suspended. Radiology will resume operations on Monday, while Rehabilitation will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Finally, the councilor thanked the "excellent and supportive" work of the healthcare staff and the fire consortium: "Their actions have been key," because "the rapid activation of emergency protocols and the training of healthcare personnel in these types of emergencies has made it possible to avoid greater consequences."