Four people have died as a result of a fire in a hospital near Hamburg, in the north of Germany.
The fire reportedly broke out around 22:45 local time on the third floor of the Helios clinic in Welzen.
It is reported that around 20 people were injured, while the police said that the number of dead could increase given the seriousness of some wounds. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.
140 firefighters and rescue workers “fought” to stop the spread of the fire. People were rescued from the clinic, some using ladders.
Police said that “calls for help were heard” from inside the building. Welzen is located about 70 km southeast of Hamburg.
It is learned that the four people confirmed dead were all patients.
But police said the death toll could rise. “There are other people so seriously injured that their lives are in danger,” spokesman Michel Koenemann said.
The fire is estimated to have caused around 1 million euros in damage.
