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Firefighter in burnt-out hospital window: 140 rescue workers in action

Photo: Philipp Schulze / dpa

One person has died in a hospital fire in the Lower Saxony town of Uelzen. 22 other people were injured, six of them seriously, as a spokesman for the fire department said on Friday night. The injuries were smoke inhalation and burns. The fire was quickly extinguished, according to the fire department.

The fire broke out late Thursday evening on the third floor of the clinic, it said. It encroached on several patient rooms. Numerous people had to be rescued from the hospital, some via ladders. About 140 rescue workers were deployed.

According to the fire department, the ambulance service set up a collection point where the patients were examined. They were then distributed to other wards of the clinic or taken to surrounding hospitals. It was not initially known how many people were affected by the fire and its effects.

The police are now investigating the cause of the fire and have seized the scene of the fire. According to initial estimates, the total damage is said to be more than one million euros.

has/dpa-AFX