Ormond Street evacuated after fire

Children who had been anaesthetised before surgery had to be woken up and evacuated yesterday morning after a fire caused an explosion at Great Ormond Street children's hospital in London.


No patients or hospital staff were injured in the blaze but four firefighters were treated at the scene for minor injuries, including smoke inhalation.

It is not yet known what caused the fire in the fifth floor of the hospital's cardiac wing at around 8.35am. It is believed that the explosion was caused when the flames ignited an oxygen cylinder.

A total of 23 patients were evacuated from the building, near Russell Square in central London, along with 12 members of staff. Six fire engines and 30 firefighters tackled the blaze. "Firefighters swiftly brought the fire under control," said Paul Glenny of London Fire Brigade. Hospital authorities were assessing the extent and cost of the damage to the 27-bed ward affected yesterday. The wing's fourth floor also suffered water damage.

Jane Collins, chief executive of the hospital, said: "This is totally different from any incident we have had to deal with before. There were some children who were due to have surgery so they were being anaesthetised. They were woken up as it was deemed to be too risky to go ahead with the surgery."

All outpatient and day appointments were cancelled, as were all the day's planned operations, although the hospital had reopened to treat any emergency patients by the afternoon. A police cordon around Great Ormond Street was lifted at midday and a full investigation into the fire was launched immediately.

One of the concerned patients waiting outside the hospital was Philip Dennis, whose 10-month old son, Theo, is being treated at the hospital's intensive care unit for a heart condition. "The hospital phoned us and told us he is sleeping soundly. They have been very good in keeping us informed and we just want to be let in to see him as soon as possible," said Mr Dennis, 37, a health and safety adviser, with a stuffed toy elephant under his arm ready to give to his son.

It was a frustrating day for some families, who had made long journeys to use the specialist facilities in the cardiac wing, which opened in 1986. Robert Hayman and his wife Joy had travelled from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, to find out the results of tests carried out on their one-year-old son.

"We were up at 5.30am this morning to make it here in time for our appointment today," he said. "It is the last thing we need really at a time like this."

It is the second major fire at a London hospital this year. Five operating theatres, two wards and much of the roof were damaged at a fire at the Royal Marsden Hospital cancer hospital in Chelsea in January, which led to the evacuation of around 150 patients and 200 staff.