Two patients treated after hospital blaze

Two patients treated after hospital blaze


Anton McNulty

Two patients are being treated for injuries after a fire broke out in Mayo General Hospital on Sunday evening. One, a man in his 70s suffering from burns and smoke inhalation, has been transferred to intensive care.
The fire, which may have been caused by a lit cigarette, broke out at around 8.30pm on Sunday evening in a one-bed room in Ward A of the hospital. Two units of the Fire Service in Castlebar were called to the scene and quickly brought the fire under control, although the room was damaged extensively in the blaze.
The HSE confirmed that two patients are being treated for injuries sustained in the fire. Four members of staff have also been assessed for smoke inhalation after they helped evacuate the 30 patients from the ward.
The cause of the fire is currently being investigated by Gardaí and it is understood that the bed was the seat of the fire, leading to speculation that a lit cigarette may have caused the blaze.

Contained
A spokesperson for the Fire Service explained that although the fire was contained to the room, the general Ward A area has been smoke damaged. Once the blaze was extinguished the ward was ventilated by the members of the Fire Service, who left the scene at 10.30pm.
The scene was then handed over to gardaí, who sealed off the room and carried out an investigation into the cause of the fire.
The patients on Ward A were allowed back to their rooms at around midnight.
In a statement, the HSE said that the families of the victims have been contacted and the staff who were assessed were later discharged.
“Mayo General Hospital and Saolta University Health Care Group would like to acknowledge the prompt action of the staff and the Fire Services in dealing with this serious incident,” the statement read.