Smoke billows from deadly fire at Romania hospital

A hospital fire in the Romanian port city of Constanta killed at least seven COVID-19 patients Friday, prompting concerns over the state of the country's ageing health care infrastructure amid the pandemic.

It was Romania's third deadly hospital fire in less than a year.

All the victims were in the intensive care unit of Constanta’s Hospital for Infectious Diseases, said the head of the city's emergency inspectorate.

The health ministry said 113 patients were in the medical unit of the hospital and all the survivors have now been evacuated.

The fire was extinguished by mid-morning.

The head of Romania’s Department for Emergency Situations said “irregularities” had been discovered in the hospital’s electrical installations system and that the case prosecutor is investigating.

IMAGE: AP