North Macedonia: Overheated cable caused fatal hospital fire

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES
Associated Press

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Authorities in North Macedonia say a fire in a COVID-19 field hospital that killed 14 people last month was caused by a short-circuit, and spread fast due to the presence of stored oxygen for the patients. The public prosecutor’s office said late Tuesday that the short-circuit occurred in a cable of a defibrillator used to resuscitate a patient in one of the hospital’s rooms. Medical staff attempted to extinguish the initial flames, but the blaze spread too quickly. The temporary facility, which had been built amid a surge in coronavirus cases, was destroyed within minutes. Twelve patients and two visiting relatives died in the Sept. 8 blaze, and another 12 people were injured.