Brazil: More than 200 evacuated out of COVID-19 hospital; 2 declared dead

A COVID-19 hospital facility caught fire in Brazil'sRio de Janeiro on Tuesday leading to an emergency evacuation of more than 200 people. All the patients were undergoing treatment for the novel coronavirus.

The emergency evacuation led to 200 patients and staff being brought out by the authorities, with some of the patientsbeing rolled out on their beds. Out of the evacuated patients, two women who were in serious condition succumbed to their injuries. The two women were 42 and 82-year-old; their identitieshave not been revealed yet.

The fire began in the basement of one of several buildings that make up the Bonsucesso Federal Hospital, according to fire department spokesman Lauro Boto. The fire sent huge black smoke cloud into the sky.

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Several patients were seen running out of the hospital inwheelchairs and on crutches, while hospital staff brought some patients out on their beds.

Firefighters rushed to the hospital site as soon as the fire was reported, and were able to douse the fire within a few hours. Family members of the patients were also seen standing in the open areas around the hospital, trying to locate their family members.

As of now, the reason behind the investigation hasn't been revealed. An investigation has been launched to find out the cause and damage of this fire.

The fire took over the country a year after a report claimed that hospitals have lack of smoke detectors and other safety measures.