Hospital fire in S. Israel kills 1, injures 2

JERUSALEM: One patient died in a fire that broke out early Wednesday morning at the Soroka Medical Center in the southern Israeli city of Beer Sheva, the National Fire and Rescue Authority (NFRA) said.

The accident took place after a mattress was lit by a burning cigarette and caught fire at an internal ward of the center, which is one of the largest hospitals in Israel, according to NFRA spokesperson Alon Mazar.

Two other patients suffered mild to moderate injuries from smoke inhalation, he added.

Medical teams and firefighters rescued 25 patients from the ward. Some of the patients had serious respiratory problems and could not escape the fire on their own. (Xinhua)