Dozens of patients are evacuated into 1C cold when ‘arsonist tries to burn down Leeds Royal Infirmary causing severe damage to a unit’ – as police arrest suspect
- Police officers and fire crews rushed to Leeds General Infirmary on Thursday
- A man was arrested at the scene after he was caught ‘attempting to start a fire’
- Dramatic photos and video showed elderly patients in beds being wheeled out
- Other footage showed blackened walls in part of the hospital after the fire
Dozens of patients were evacuated from Leeds hospital into the freezing cold after a man wielding a screwdriver threatened staff and tried to burn the building down.
Police officers and fire crews rushed to Leeds General Infirmary just after 6pm on Thursday evening as patients and staff were ordered to leave.
A man was arrested at the scene after he was caught ‘causing damage’ and ‘attempting to start a fire’, police said.
Pictures and video showed patients in their beds being wheeled out of the hospital. Temperatures in the city were around 1C (34F) at the time.
Other dramatic footage filmed after the fire showed severe damage inside a unit in the hospital, with blackened walls visible and parts of the ceiling hanging down.
Dozens of patients were evacuated from Leeds hospital into the freezing cold after a fire broke out inside, with smoke reportedly filling the corridors
A man with former colleagues at the scene said smoke had filled the corridors in several areas. He said: ‘I heard that the smoke was filling up the corridors from A and E up to ICU and Theatres (one level up).’
A police cordon was in place outside the building and fire crews were seen bagging evidence.
Buses are unable to go past the hospital, with First West Yorkhire tweeting: ‘Service 5 towards Albion Street – Due to an obstruction on Clarendon Way the service is currently following the 5A route. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused.’
Patients and staff were allowed back into the hospital after the blaze was extinguished quickly by fire crews.
A police spokesman said: ‘Enquiries are ongoing this evening following an incident at a hospital in Leeds.
‘Police were called to the Leeds General Infirmary at about 17.54 to a report of a man in possession of a screwdriver who was causing damage in a unit, had made threats, and was attempting to start a fire.
Police officers and fire crews rushed to Leeds General Infirmary on Thursday evening as patients and staff were ordered to leave
A man was arrested at the scene after he was caught ‘causing damage’ and ‘attempting to start a fire’, police said
Police were pictured outside the hospital after it was briefly evacuated on Thursday
‘The area was evacuated, and officers attended, located and arrested a man.
‘West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service also attended the hospital and extinguished fire inside the affected area.
‘No-one is believed to have been injured in the incident.
‘Police remain on scene and the suspect remains in custody.’
Patients and staff were allowed back into the hospital after the blaze was extinguished quickly by fire crews
A spokesperson for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: ‘We can confirm that there was a small fire at Leeds General Infirmary this evening. The fire was extinguished quickly and nobody was injured’
A spokesperson for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: ‘We can confirm that there was a small fire at Leeds General Infirmary this evening.
‘The fire was extinguished quickly and nobody was injured.
‘Staff and patients were evacuated from the building for a short period and police investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
‘We would like to thank our staff and the emergency services who responded quickly to the incident.’
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