Sections of Pretoria East Hospital declared safe for patients after fire

The City of Tshwane emergency services department says no injuries or fatalities were reported during firefighting operations after a fire broke out at Netcare Pretoria East Hospital on Thursday night.

Patients were evacuated when the hospital caught fire.

Emergency services spokesperson Valentine Matlala said the fire was brought under control at about 9.14pm on Thursday and certain sections of the hospital were declared safe for patients to be moved back in.

Emergency services received a call at 6.59pm and dispatched the nearest fire station personnel to the incident.

The firefighting resources included two fire engines, a rapid intervention unit, a water tanker and a mobile communication unit.

“On arrival the preliminary report given to the emergency communications centre was that the eastern hospital building was well alight and certain parts of the roof had collapsed. The roof had solar panels and certain parts were on fire,” Matlala said.

Firefighters were made aware of the location of lithium batteries in a separate building by the hospital staff.

“They were advised that the building that caught fire was the theatre with pressurised vessels that contained a mixture of gases,” Matlala said.

“Most patients in the hospital were already evacuated and some were still being evacuated on arrival of the fire brigade. The crews joined hospital staff to evacuate the remainder of the patients.”

Operations were completed at about 11.32pm after an assessment to make sure there were no smouldering fires that might flare up. Matlala said firefighters left the scene in the early hours of Friday.

TimesLIVE