Romanian authorities say fire at key hospital kills 4

Authorities in Romania say a fire at a key hospital in Bucharest that also treats COVID-19 patients has killed at least four people

Romania Hospital Fire (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Authorities in Romania say a fire at a key hospital in Bucharest that also treats COVID-19 patients has killed at least four people and injured others.

The fire broke out early Friday on the ground floor of the hospital in Bucharest. The blaze forced the evacuation of the building that houses 100 people.

An unspecified number of people have been injured before firefighters put out the fire, Romanian emergency services said in a preliminary report.

Hours later, charred balconies could be seen at the Matei Bals hospital where health authorities organized the start of Romania's vaccination efforts.

The Balkan country of some 19 million people so far has reported more than 700,000 virus cases and 18,000 deaths.