Deadly Blaze Engulfs Hospital in Northern Iran, Killing 9

A fire erupted early Tuesday at Qaem Hospital, a private medical facility in the northern Iranian city of Rasht, claiming the lives of nine patients.

Health Minister Bahram Einollahi said at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon that so far, nine patients have lost their lives in the fire. Initially, authorities announced the death toll at eight.

Mohammad-Taghi Ashoubi, the president of Gilan University of Medical Sciences, announced that another patient has died, increasing the death toll from the fire.

According to local media, the fire department and Red Crescent teams responded to the scene, managing to extinguish the fire and facilitate the evacuation of patients and staff.

According to Ashoubi, initial investigations show that the fire at the Qaem Hospital started in the UPS room and emergency power facilities in the lower floors of the hospital.

UPS systems are used in hospitals for various purposes, including providing emergency power, supplying electricity during peak demand periods, improving the quality of AC power, reducing noise, and eliminating power fluctuations.

Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, reported that at the time of the incident, the hospital was operating near its full capacity with 142 of its 250 beds occupied.

At least 110 people have been transferred to another hospital following the blaze.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, and forensic medicine specialists are examining the circumstances leading to the fatalities, added Tasnim. 

In February, the health ministry revoked the licenses of 100 ailing hospitals and put 250 more on probation amid patient safety concerns.

Saeed Karimi, the Deputy Health Minister, said warnings had been given. "Out of the 350 hospitals expected to take action, only 200 have complied. As a consequence, licenses for 100 hospitals, including Gandhi hospital, have not been renewed."

Speaking to ISNA, he admitted that many of the hospitals have been operating for over 25 years and are in dire need of renovation.

On January 25, a large fire broke out at Gandhi hospital, a prominent healthcare facility in northern Tehran. The blaze engulfed the building's exterior facade, prompting an evacuation of the premises. There were no immediate reports of casualties, although the cause of the fire remained unknown.