At Least Two Injured in Massive Blaze at NYC Hospital (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – At least two people have been injured in a large fire that erupted from the roof of a New York City hospital Friday evening, with authorities still investigating the cause.
Fire crews rushed to the hospital in Queens’ Far Rockaway neighborhood around 5pm on Friday, a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) spokesman told local media, noting that around 100 emergency workers were responding to the two-alarm fire.
The New York Times reported two people had suffered minor injuries in the incident, citing fire officials.
Footage purporting to show the conflagration has circulated online, with a colossal column of thick black smoke seen billowing from the hospital’s roof as flames erupted from upper-floor windows, RT reported.
After about an hour, however, the fire was fully extinguished, according to officials cited by the Times. The scare triggered a partial evacuation of the building, including the hospital’s emergency room, according to the Times. Several patients that were in the ER as the fire broke are expected to be transported to other hospitals to continue treatment, local media reported, citing a source with the city’s emergency service.
Founded in 1905, St. John’s Episcopal has a 257-bed capacity and is the only hospital providing emergency and ambulance services to the densely populated Rockaway peninsula and other neighborhoods in southern Queens.
