A FIRE broke out at the storage area of Siriraj Hospital’s 8th floor Covid ward at 5.30 p.m. today (Oct. 18) but the patients were all safely evacuated and the blaze quickly put out, Siam Rath newspaper said.
Pol. Lt. Col. Itthipol Chanpaengngoen, an inspector at Bangkok Noi police station, was notified of the fire on the 8th floor of this hospital’s 13-storey Atsadang building and quickly coordinated for fire trucks from Bang Khun Non station as well as 10 Navy fire trucks to go and put it out.
Black smoke poured out from this floor where Covid patients are being treated with the blaze having erupted in the storage area where equipment and beds are kept.
The firemen quickly went up to this floor and were able put out the fire in 10 minutes.
The hospital’s security personnel said there was chaos after the fire erupted with staff rushing to evacuate the patients from the building. They were moved to Jutathut and Chao Fa buildings as well as a field hospital at the rear.
Fortunately this did not turn into a big blaze so there were no injuries or fatalities.
Bangkok Noi police station inspectors will now be investigating the cause of the blaze.
CAPTION:
Smoke pouring out of the Siriraj hospital’s Covid ward as firemen rush in to fight the blaze. Photos: Siam Rath
