BREAKING NEWS Fire tears through wards in Rome hospital killing three and forcing evacuation of nearly 200 patients

• Mercy crews rushed to the San Giovanni Evangelista Hospital in Tivoli

Three people have died and almost 200 patients have been evacuated after a fire tore through a hospital on the outskirts of Rome.

The blaze broke out in the ground floor emergency room of the San Giovanni Evangelista (St. John the Evangelist) hospital in Tivoli at around 11pm on Friday – the  day of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a public holiday in Italy. 

The flames spread to a few other wards, ‘but the smoke went everywhere,’ chief prosecutor Francesco Menditto told the AP news agency, prompting the mass evacuation of the facility.

Using fire engine ladders to reach patients on high floors, fire and police rescue crews worked through the night to evacuate the 193 patients. 

Officials say patients in intensive care were immediately transferred to other hospitals in ambulances, while those in less critical condition were moved into a nearby public gym before being moved elsewhere.

Fire engines sit outside the San Giovanni Evangelista (St. John the Evangelist) hospital in Tivoli, Rome, Italy following a fatal fire on Friday

Fire crews used power tools to cut holes in balconies to enable the transfer of patients onto waiting raised platforms

Emergency services on the scene outside the hospital on Saturday, as an investigation was launched into the cause of the blaze

The fire broke out in the hospital in Tivoli, a popular tourist destination on the outskirts of Rome, at around 11pm on Friday

Francesco Rocca, governor of the Lazio region, confirmed at the scene that three people had been killed. An investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the fire. 

However, the governor acknowledged that there had been ‘notable delays’ in updating Italy’s aging hospitals with sprinkler systems and other fire safety infrastructure.

The fire department initially said four people were killed. Menditto said during a news conference that only three deaths were directly caused by the blaze, while a fourth death was unrelated to the fire.

He said prosecutors do not believe the fire was set intentionally but the working hypothesis guiding the investigation was related to manslaughter charges, without any suspects identified. 

Dramatic video released by the Vigili del Fuoco, Italy’s national fire and rescue service, showed fire crews trying to reach the upper floors of the hospital on ladders to get to patients as smoke billowed out.

Crews could be seen dampening down parts of the building, which had been blackened by smoke, and using power tools to cut gaps in balconies to enable patients to be transferred onto waiting raised platforms.

Local politicians have praised firefighters and police officers for a ‘truly exceptional’ overnight operation to evacuate the patients, especially those who could not walk on their own, and to get them transferred to other hospitals.

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and interior minister Matteo Piantedosi offered condolences to the families of the victims.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Meloni wrote: ‘I express my deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the fire that broke out in the San Giovanni Evangelista hospital in Tivoli and my closeness to all those affected.’

The building was left blackened by the fire, which is believed to have broken out on the ground floor

Police on the scene on Saturday morning. Investigators say the smoke rapidly spread throughout the building

Mr Piantedosi added in a separate post: ‘I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the fire that broke out yesterday at the Tivoli hospital, and my closeness to all those who were injured. 

‘My applause and gratitude go to the firefighters and police force personnel who immediately intervened. 

‘The speed with which the structure was evacuated and the courage and commitment in putting out the flames made it possible to save more than one hundred people, preventing the toll from the fire from assuming even more tragic dimensions.’

Rome’s chief firefighter, Commander Adriano De Acutis, said crews were now focused on securing and removing valuable medicines, especially drugs used to treat cancer, since the hospital will be unusable for the foreseeable future.

Tivoli, which is located about 20 miles northeast of the center of Rome, is a popular tourist destination. 

It is best known for the archaeological sites of Villa d’Este and Villa Adriana, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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