5 killed in Russia hospital fire

Moscow:  Five people have been killed in a fire that broke out in a hospital in Russia’s St. Petersburg city, an emergency services source said on Tuesday.

“Five patients put on artificial ventilation machines (in the St. George Hospital) were killed in the fire,” the source told the TASS News Agency.

The fire has been contained.

“Its area reached 10 square meters,” the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s press service told TASS, adding that 150 people have been evacuated.

The fire may have been caused due to one of the ventilation machines short circuiting, according to a source in the emergency services.

Since mid-March, St. George Hospital has been re-equipped to treat COVID-19 patients.