Fire at Nijmegen care institute; 8 hospitalized

A fire broke out at Nijmegen healthcare institute De Velechting on Wednesday morning. Part of the building was evacuated. Eight residents were hospitalized as a precaution, De Gelderlander reports.

The fire department responded to the building on 73ste street at around 6:00 a.m. About an hour later, local safety office Veiligheidsregio Gelderland-Zuid reported that it had been extinguished. The cause of the fire is not yet clear.

The fire brigade responded with large equipment, as the residents of De Velechting don't walk well, according to the newspaper. "Initially the intention was to evacuate the entire building", a spokesperson for the safety office said. "Gradually it turned out that it was better to bring people to another floor. Residents who were on the third floor, where the fire was, were taken care of on the second floor."

According to the spokesperson, the eight residents who were hospitalized were not injured, but very shaken up. "The fire had a massive impact on these people, because during the fire the fire brigade brought them down via a ladder. That is very intense."