A fire broke out at a hospital in Iran‘s north, killing nine patients, state media reported Tuesday.
The blaze started at 1:30 local time (2200GMT) at Qaem Hospital in the city of Rasht, some 330 kilometers (about 205 miles) northwest of the capital Tehran, state TV said, leaving six women and three men dead.
Chief of the city fire department, Shahram Momeni, said on state TV that an electric short circuit in the basement — which harbors the intensive care unit — malfunctioned, causing the fire.
Momeni said emergency workers rescued more than 140 people, patients and hospital staff, after being trapped because of the smoke, and that 120 of them were hospitalised in other medical facilities. He added that an investigation has been ordered.
A video posted online appeared to show smoke billowing from the hospital in the middle of the night.
#BREAKING Early morning fire at Qaem Hospital in Iran’s northern city of Rasht has resulted in 9 deaths so far. Firefighters and Red Crescent teams have evacuated 142.
At least 118 people have been hospitalized following the incident.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the… pic.twitter.com/H9d9gluKWh— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) June 18, 2024
Iranian media occasionally report on fires in hospitals and clinics that are mainly blamed on technical issues.
In 2020, an explosion from a gas leak in a medical clinic in northern Tehran killed 19 people.