Wards reopen after Derry hospital blaze

Five of seven wards evacuated during a blaze at a major hospital in Northern Ireland have been reopened, health chiefs said.

However dozens of operations have been cancelled since the fire was discovered on the roof of Derry’s 11-storey Altnagelvin Hospital on Friday evening.

Around 120 patients had to be rushed to safety.

The Western Trust, which runs the hospital, said just two wards remain shut, while the other affected wards have returned to normal.

Patients who were being cared for in the closed wards are being treated in other areas of the hospital.

So far, 33 operations scheduled to take place tomorrow have been cancelled. Surgery was also postponed yesterday.

Affected patients will be contacted directly by hospital staff, said a Western Trust spokesman.

“Some planned surgery will go ahead,” he added.

Emergency services are continuing to operate as usual while normal visiting arrangements have been restored.

Health Minister Edwin Poots yesterday said it was a huge relief no-one was hurt in the outbreak.

Visiting the scene, he offered his sympathy to all those whose recovery was disrupted by the fire.

Almost 50 firefighters in 11 appliances battled the blaze which broke out at about 6.20pm.

Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service group commander Edward Carroll said the fire was small but its location on the upper levels of the building had warranted a large scale operation.

An investigation into the cause of the blaze has been launched.

Mayor of Derry Kevin Campbell also visited the hospital to inspect the damage and personally thank the emergency services for their response.