A fire broke out in a room at Marie Curie Civil Hospital in Lodelinsart, a neighbourhood of Charleroi, shortly before 05:00 on Tuesday, leaving one person seriously injured and two others with minor smoke inhalation, according to the hospital.
The fire started in the cardio-thoracic surgery ward, known as B2. Hospital staff said nurses and the internal security team responded immediately after the alarm was raised.
When nurses arrived, the patient’s bed was on fire. They used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames and evacuated patients from the ward, the hospital said in a statement.
In total, 17 people were moved. Thirteen patients were transferred to another department within the hospital.
The two people who suffered minor smoke inhalation were taken to the emergency department for treatment. The patient in the room where the fire started suffered severe burns and was transferred to the burns unit at the Grand Hôpital de Charleroi.
According to the first findings of the investigation, a lighter was found near the bed. The fire is believed to have started when a cigarette was lit close to an oxygen mask.
Local police and firefighters from Charleroi were called to the scene. The Charleroi Public Prosecutor’s Office was also due at the hospital to confirm the initial findings, the hospital said.
Material damage was limited to the affected room.
