BFF-05 Fire at Moscow coronavirus hospital kills one

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ZCZC

BFF-05

VIRUS-RUSSIA-FIRE

Fire at Moscow coronavirus hospital kills one

MOSCOW, May 10, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – One person died after a fire broke out in a hospital treating coronavirus patients in northern Moscow, forcing an evacuation, emergencies officials said Saturday.

The Spasokukotsky hospital No. 50 was treating nearly 700 patients infected with the coronavirus as of Friday.

It was not clear what started the fire or whether it impacted the wing housing coronavirus patients.

The emergencies services in Moscow said in a statement that one person died and 200 had to be escorted from the building.

“The fire started in one of the rooms on the first floor,” it said. The fire was quickly extinguished, it added.

News agencies reported that the fire hit the intensive care unit. Contacted by AFP, the emergencies services did not confirm this, while the hospital refused to comment.

BSS/AFP/MMA/0920HRS