Patients shifted as car catches fire near hospital

dubai — Heavy smoke from a burning car in the premises of Aster Hospital in Mankhool early on Tuesday morning prompted an evacuation of pre-term babies and expectant mothers.

Eleven pre-term babies, three pregnant women and seven patients from the intensive care, including two who were in a serious condition, were moved to the hospital’s branch in Al Qusais as a precautionary measure. No one was injured.

The incident happened when a car caught fire at 2am in the hospital’s courtyard causing thick smoke to engulf the entrance of the hospital. The evacuation lasted about two hours.

A statement from Aster DM Healthcare said: “At 2 am last night, a visitor had arrived in his car at Aster Hospital in Mankhool. Before entering the ramp, leading to the car park, he realised that the car was about to catch fire. He immediately left the car on the ramp and fled the premises.

On noticing the flames, our security team immediately came forward and managed to extinguish it. However, the smoke had entered the hospital building. The hospital staff called the Dubai Police, the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services and the civil defence, and as a proactive precautionary measure, our patients admitted at the facility were shifted to our hospital in Al Qusais. No one has been injured in the incident.”