Fire in Covid ward leaves one dead in Greece

A fire in the Covid-19 ward of a hospital in northern Greece has left one person dead and two seriously injured, firefighters said.

The fire department said it had evacuated 34 patients from the ward at the Papanikolaou Hospital in Thessaloniki.

Four of those evacuated had already been in serious condition due to coronavirus and were under increased monitoring, authorities said.

The body of one person was found on the second floor, the fire department said.

It was unclear what sparked the blaze. Video footage showed thick black smoke billowing out of two windows on a lower floor of the facility and firefighters climbing up to the windows.

Thirty firefighters with 11 fire engines battled the blaze, which appeared to have been extinguished by mid-morning.