One killed in fire at psychiatric clinic in Poortugaal

One person died in a fire at a psychiatric clinic in Poortugaal, near Rotterdam in Zuid-Holland. The clinic treats many people sentenced to institutionalization after contact with the law.

The emergency services first reported the fire at the clinic on Kijvelandsekade shortly after 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Emergency services evacuated the clinic, accommodating the patients elsewhere on the terrain. Firefighters managed to get the blaze under control within the hour, though it took hours longer to actually extinguish it.

According to Rijnmondveilig.nl, the fire started in a clinic next to the psychiatric prison. That clinic treats people who may have come into contact with the law due to mental health problems but weren’t sentenced to institutionalized treatment.

The emergency services initially reported that several people were injured in the fire, but no one required immediate hospitalization. At around 3:00 a.m., they reported that someone had died.

The authorities are investigating the cause of the fire and how the victim died.