8 patients killed in hospital fire in Turkey

A fire at a western Turkish hospital left eight intensive care unit patients dead on Tuesday, authorities said.

A fire at a western Turkish hospital left eight intensive care unit patients dead on Tuesday, authorities said.

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Gov Sahabettin Harputlu of Bursa province said it was not clear whether the patients died of smoke inhalation or when life supporting machines were left without power during the fire at the Sevket Yilmaz hospital.

A suspected short circuit sparked the fire in the hospital’s basement and affected the entire building when the hospital’s ventilating system did not work because of the power failure, Harputlu said.

Authorities evacuated all 44 of the hospital’s patients, eight of whom died, Harputlu said. Several other patients suffered from smoke inhalation but all were in stable condition, authorities said.