Major operation in Linz

Fire in hospital cellar – patients diverted

A smouldering fire broke out in the basement of the Sisters of Mercy Linz on Tuesday.(Bild: TEAM FOTOKERSCHI / BILAL AHMETOVIC)

Half of Linz city center was in a state of emergency on Tuesday afternoon. There was a fire in the basement of the Sisters of Mercy Hospital and the emergency services closed off the access roads. The hospital itself diverted acute patients to two other clinics.

Blue lights everywhere and no traffic - this was the scene in the center of Linz late Tuesday afternoon. The reason: a small fire had broken out during construction work in the basement of the Sisters of Mercy Hospital. More precisely, an expansion joint fire broke out shortly after 3 p.m. during soldering work in the outdoor area.

Roads cordoned off
The emergency services then closed off the access roads to the hospital in the city center. It was not necessary to evacuate the hospital and the patients in the building were not affected by the large-scale operation.

Acute patients diverted
However, the smouldering fire still had consequences for the hospital operations of the "sisters", who had an admission day on Tuesday of all days. "We diverted our acute patients to the Kepler University Hospital and the Elisabethinen Hospital," said the hospital in response to an inquiry from Krone.

According to the hospital, there were no injuries. The fire itself was quickly brought under control by 32 firefighters from the Linz professional fire department and two volunteer fire departments from the city.