AFP, Rio De Janeiro :
At least 10 people have died in a fire in a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, the fire service in the Brazilian city said, with preliminary reports suggesting a short circuit in a generator could have sparked the blaze.
The fire broke out at dusk Thursday at the Badim hospital in the north of Rio, sending medical staff and relatives into a desperate flurry to try to evacuate scores of patients.
“At least 10 people died,” the Rio de Janeiro fire department said in a statement, without specifying whether the victims were patients or workers.
“About 90 patients had to be transferred to other medical units.”
The blaze was brought under control by 8:00 pm (2300 GMT), and firefighters searched until the early hours of Friday to recover bodies from the scene.
At least 10 people have died in a fire in a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, the fire service in the Brazilian city said, with preliminary reports suggesting a short circuit in a generator could have sparked the blaze.
The fire broke out at dusk Thursday at the Badim hospital in the north of Rio, sending medical staff and relatives into a desperate flurry to try to evacuate scores of patients.
“At least 10 people died,” the Rio de Janeiro fire department said in a statement, without specifying whether the victims were patients or workers.
“About 90 patients had to be transferred to other medical units.”
The blaze was brought under control by 8:00 pm (2300 GMT), and firefighters searched until the early hours of Friday to recover bodies from the scene.
