Emergency services responded to a blaze at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast on Wednesday evening after a fire broke out in the emergency department – a man in his 30s died
A man has tragically lost his life following a fire in the emergency department of a Belfast hospital. Emergency services were called to the Royal Victoria Hospital on Wednesday evening after a fire erupted in a bathroom.
Police, ambulance and fire crews arrived at the scene just before 6.45pm to combat the fire in the accident and emergency (AandE) unit of the hospital.
Reports indicate that a man was injured in a fire in the toilets of the ED and was receiving treatment for burns. He has since passed away in hospital.
In an update on Thursday, a PSNI spokesperson stated: “Police and fire crews were called to the Emergency Department of the Royal Victoria Hospital on Wednesday, 22nd April, at around 6.50pm.”, reports Belfast Live.
“A man in his 30s has since passed away in hospital. This is being treated as a sudden death and not suspicious at this time.”
A representative for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) confirmed that four pumping appliances and approximately 20 personnel were dispatched to the scene.
A NIFRS statement read: “One male was injured and we had four pumping appliances there, the area was smoke logged.”
It was reported that crews departed the scene at around 9.10pm.
The ED’s main waiting area and reception were shut down and patients arriving were directed through a side entrance with some ambulances rerouted to other city hospitals for a brief period.
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