Deadly fire rips through Rome hospital as four killed and patients evacuated

Four people have died and hundreds of patients evacuated after a fire broke out at a hospital on Rome’s outskirts.

People in the intensive care ward at St John the Evangelist hospital in Tivoli were rushed immediately by ambulance to other hospitals in Italy’s capital, the Tivoli mayor’s office said.

Other patients were moved into a nearby municipal gymnasium pending transfer to other facilities, with around 200 patients reported to have been evacuated in total.

The blaze began late on Friday and was eventually brought under control, with four people confirmed killed, the fire department said.

The fire apparently broke out in the basement of the structure, initially involving the mortuary, then part of the kitchens and the first floor, but the dense smoke also spread to the upper levels, news agency Ansa reported.

Video showed fire crews on ladders trying to reach the upper floors of the hospital as smoke billowed out.

Tivoli, which is located about 20 miles northeast of the centre of Rome, is a popular tourist destination. It is best known for the archaeological sites of Villa d’Este and Villa Adriana.

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