Elderly patients escape injury in fire

The blaze at the hospital was brought under control

More than 60 elderly patients have escaped injury in a fire at a hospital in Londonderry.

The fire at Altnagelvin Hospital was discovered in a vacant ward near the elderly care facilities at about 1950 BST on Monday.

About 66 patients, both elderly and stroke patients, had to be taken out of their wards.

As we were dealing with it, the smoke was filtering out into an occupied ward beside it

David Hamilton
Fire officer

The Fire Brigade said there was nothing to suggest the fire had been started deliberately or by an electrical fault.

It is understood one line of inquiry is that the fire could have been started by a discarded cigarette.

The hospital said the fire, police and ambulance services were immediately contacted and the fire was brought under control.

Fire officer David Hamilton said hospital staff remained calm during the evacuation operation.

"It was an unoccupied ward on the first floor and it was heavily smoke-logged," he said.

"But as we were dealing with it, the smoke was filtering out into an occupied ward beside it.

"So hospital staff started to evacuate geriatric patients from that ward."

He said it must have been a very traumatic experience for the elderly patients, all of whom were assessed after the evacuation.

Thirteen staff were treated for the after effects of smoke inhalation.

Stella Burnside: "Major risk to life and limb"

The hospital chief executive, Stella Burnside, said the slightest fire was "gravely serious".

"We are talking about people who are vulnerable, not able to be independent. So every patient had to be moved. Every relative had to be guided out.

"It was a major threat to life and to limb."

The Ambulance Service said the normal emergency plan worked well.

The blaze caused extensive damage to a floor and ceiling, and furniture in the empty ward was also destroyed.