Fire engulfs parts of Steve Biko Academic Hospital overnight

A fire at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria in the early hours of Monday morning affected temporary structures.

Gauteng department of health spokesperson Kwara Kekana said the cause of the fire was unknown at this stage.

No patients or staff were injured.

The fire affected temporary structures at the hospital and was extinguished by the hospital’s team.

One body and 18 patients in separate temporary structures close to where the fire broke out had to be moved to other areas of the hospital as a safety precaution.

“The fire broke out at around 1.20am in a Wendy house used as a temporary storage area for Covid-19 medical waste and transit corpse area,” she said.

Kekana said it also affected a special temporary isolation unit and a tent used for triage for patients under investigation.

She said the affected structures were located outside the casualty area at the hospital.

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