Cigarette on fifth floor suspected
Update 23:00 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – A patient who suffered burns from a fire that broke out in the psychiatric unit on the fifth floor of the HUG university hospitals in Geneva died Tuesday 3 January, and a member of staff remains in serious condition from smoke inhalation. The patient was a woman in her 50s.
A cigarette is suspected as the source of the fire, with one found near the head of the bed, along with a packet of them. Police are investigating if a lapse in security is involved, since smoking is banned in the hospital.
The fire broke out shortly before midnight Monday and firefighters, who were at the scene within four minutes, had the fire under control within a half hour, but 20 people, had to be treated for smoke inhalation.
The hospital’s emergency plan was kept active for three hours, with several patients from lower floors moved to a makeshift treatment centre on the ground floor as a precaution.
The room of the patient who was injured was completely destroyed by the fire and an adjoining room was badly damaged.
Geneva police say the cause of the fire is not yet known and an investigation has been opened, but TSR reports that a cigarette is suspected of starting the blaze.
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News story, GenevaLunch, 3 January 2012.
Tags: burned, cigarette, fire, Geneva, hospital, HUG, patients, smoke inhalation, staff