Patients evacuated from Eugene Marais hospital in Tshwane after generator catches fire

About twenty patients were safely evacuated from the Eugene Marais Hospital after a standby generator caught fire on the ground floor of the facility in Tshwane.

It is understood the blaze broke out just before 6pm on Thursday, causing a ward and the casualty area to be engulfed in smoke.

Evacuation

Tshwane Emergency Services (TMS) spokesperson Charles Mabaso said the patients were evacuated from one of the wards.

“The Tshwane Emergency Services Department received the call at approximately 17:50. Emergency Services arrived on the scene to find a generator on fire and immediately started with firefighting operations. The fire was subsequently extinguished and only the generator sustained fire damages.

“The hospital staff manage to safely evacuate 20 patients to an alternative ward. According to hospital management, two hundred to two hundred and fifty patients were not affected by the smoke. The hospital staff is conducted a further assessment of the patients to determine if they were affected in any other way,” Mabaso said.

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Investigation

Mabaso said firefighters conducted positive pressure ventilation to clear the casualty and parts of the ground floor of excessive smoke.

 “The incident occurred during the time when the area was experiencing a power outage. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.”

Restaurant fire

In September, a blaze destroyed part of Summit Grill and Skybar Restaurant in Garsfontein, east of Pretoria.

“Firefighters arrived on the scene to find the second floor of the restaurant, where the music is played, on fire and immediately started with the firefighting operations. The fire was brought under control,” Mabaso said.

The restaurant’s ground floor, the kitchen, and the rooftop did not suffer any damage.

“A fire safety officer has been assigned to the incident and we also believe the South African Police Services will also carry out an investigation on their side,” he said.

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