Fire at Istanbul Training and Research Hospital

Flames rose for an as-yet undetermined reason from the storage area and laboratory on the lower floor of the hospital in Fatih Samatya.

While numerous fire and police teams were dispatched to the scene, the fire was tackled by 19 vehicles and 72 firefighters from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

The fire was extinguished through the intervention of the fire department.

Patients who had been moved to the lower floors of the building were returned to the wards where they were receiving treatment once the operations were completed.

In a statement from the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate, it was noted: "Due to the risk of smoke inhalation, our patients on the upper floor were transferred to the lower floor; after the necessary interventions, the situation returned to normal and the patients were taken back to their original locations. There is no evacuation situation, and the hospital continues to provide treatment services."

"I PACKED MY BELONGINGS AND CAME HERE"

Arakil Turgay, who is receiving treatment at the hospital, told reporters that the fire broke out while they were on the lower floor of the building, noting that he did not see the fire. "Then they evacuated us. I packed my belongings and came here," he said.

An eyewitness who did not want to give their name explained that while they were waiting for blood test results, staff began knocking on walls and doors, and then they were asked to evacuate the building.

Another patient who was at the hospital for surgery said, "I was going to have surgery today. The alarm went off, a fire broke out. They took us outside too. We were on the 3rd floor. As soon as I heard the alarm sound, I went outside."

News Source: 12punto