A fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning at Sismanogleio Hospital in Marousi, a northern suburb of Athens, prompting a major response from the Fire Service and the precautionary evacuation of all hospital areas that could be safely cleared.
The incident occurred shortly after 5:00 a.m., when smoke began pouring from a room in the hospital’s First Internal Medicine Clinic.
As smoke spread through the building, authorities ordered the precautionary evacuation of several sections of the hospital to ensure the safety of patients and staff.
A total of 28 firefighters, assisted by seven fire engines, responded to the scene. A specialized ladder truck and an aerial platform vehicle were also deployed.
Panic in the Hospital Wards
One of the patients staying in Room 6 described the dramatic evacuation to Greece’s public broadcaster ERTNews, saying the situation unfolded within seconds.
She said she was already awake because of a high fever when she heard a nurse shouting in panic that a fire had broken out.
“It happened at around 5:00 in the morning. We heard a nurse in a panic yelling, ‘Fire!'” she said.
The patient added that within a very short time, the hallway had filled with thick smoke, severely reducing visibility and causing panic among those hospitalized.
She said those hospitalized evacuated their rooms on their own, taking only their essential belongings, while she herself left with her IV drip still attached. She claimed there was no immediate assistance to help patients evacuate and that they were shouting “Fire!” as they made their way toward the exit, while many elderly patients, people with disabilities, and those with serious health conditions struggled to move.
