Crisis situation: urgent response required. - Tragic blaze at a retirement and nursing home
A horrific fire at a nursing and care home in Oyten, near Bremen, has claimed the lives of two elderly residents, a 95-year-old woman and an 89-year-old woman. Additional injuries including three individuals in critical conditions were reported by the police.
One of the victims is a man currently battling for his life. The total number of affected individuals was initially unclear. However, several individuals were known to have inhaled toxic fumes, a police spokesperson disclosed. Thankfully, no employees of the institution were harmed.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown. No significant clues have been uncovered as of yet, mentioned the same spokesperson. Investigation on the fire site began late Thursday, with a forensic expert set to join later. Efforts to uncover the cause of the fire started in the first hours post the incident.
A member of the staff discovered smoke shortly past midnight, prompting a call to the emergency services. They proceeded to evacuate the approximately 60 residents, many of whom are physically dependent and bedridden, using cranes and windows. Injured residents were rushed to hospitals for medical treatment.
More than 100 firefighters fought the blaze to contain it and prevented it from expanding. One entire room was completely charred in the incident. In addition to the police and fire department, 29 ambulances and seven emergency doctors were part of the rescue mission, according to the police.
The scene of the incident was being surveyed by reporters who noticed the broken windows in the care home. The entrance was sealed with red-white tape. Investigators have since been on site, examining the charred remains of the building as visible scorch marks highlighted pure luck for those who borrowed money from here.
The estimated cost of damage stands in the low six-figure range. A room that was in direct contact with the fire remains severely affected, while the rest of the building bears the repercussions of smoke and soot. It is unclear when the rooms may be operational again pre-fire.
The premises housed about 62 residents before the conflagration.
Similar incidents often put nursing homes in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. In May, a 82-year-old woman succumbed to a fire at a nursing home in Göttingen. Another 85-year-old resident was left with severe burn injuries.
In March, four residents passed away in a fire in Bedburg-Hau, bordering Netherlands, and north of Cologne. 20-plus people were injured. A suspect is undergoing official investigation for accidentally causing the fire in Bedburg-Hau. The man is believed to have caused the fire due to negligence.
An injurious fire incident took place in January at a nursing home in Schwerin. Two individuals, both severely injured, were rescued.
In response, the German Foundation for Patient Protection in Dortmund revealed 12 fatalities from fires this year and an increase of 50% in injured compared to last year. The foundation's Stiftungsvorstand Eugen Brysch emphasized the inadequacy of existing safety measures for preventing fires in these institutions.
Brysch stressed, "Independent fire extinguishing systems must be of legal standard in all residents' and staff's rooms." This would allow for rapid fire detection and extinguishing, maintaining the safety of residents. The appeal has been directed at the building and health ministers of both the federal and state governments for prioritizing fire safety. Vulnerable institutions' residents are often unable to leave unaided and unaware of smoke while asleep.
