Gauteng Premier David Makhura has announced that the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg has been temporarily closed.
He says patients have been transferred to other hospitals to avoid them getting smoke inhalation as smoke has entered some wards.
Glory to God, no actual casualties due to the fire. Been evacuating patients for the past 12 hours. #CharlotteMaxeke pic.twitter.com/Ivgdhq51mM
— Tshepo Thage – TT (@tshepothage89tt) April 17, 2021
I want to take this moment and thank all the personnel and all the people who helped with the evacuation of patients from #CharlotteMaxeke hospital. You did a wonderful job in saving lives from the fire 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 @HealthZA @GautengHealth pic.twitter.com/01bRA8UVqm
— Thulani Ndaba (@tndaba) April 17, 2021
The fire, which started on Friday morning, has been contained but the structure of the building is reported to have been compromised.
07:35 Firefighters still battling the fire. #CharlotteMaxeke pic.twitter.com/eDrfsfEGo5
— Gauteng Health (@GautengHealth) April 17, 2021
Makhura says they had no choice but to close the hospital for at least a week.
“It is not an easy decision that we had to make. We must put out the fire. We must call in all the relevant support and resources to put out the fire. This fire must not get to damage the rest of the building. It has damaged the areas now, the parking area and some of the areas still have cars that are still parked in here but the fire is contained,” explained Premier Makhura.
Makhura’s speaks to journalists outside the hospital in the video below:
Our thoughts today are with the incredible fire fighters, paramedics, security companies, and volunteers that deployed to the #CharlotteMaxeke fire. Our heartfelt thanks to these selfless heroes. *Photo credit unknown – circulated on multiple groups and SM. pic.twitter.com/HY0imUPy8F
— IRS Forensic Investigations (@FraudWatchZA) April 17, 2021
