Three elderly men die in fire at Hamburg hospital, dozens injured

Three men were killed and dozens were injured in a fire at a hospital operated by the Catholic Church in the northern German city of Hamburg, officials said on Sunday.

The men were aged 84, 85 and 87, police reported early on Sunday afternoon, putting the number of injured at 34, with one in critical condition.

The fire broke out in the geriatric ward on the ground floor of the Marien Hospital overnight before spreading to the first floor. Parts of the hospital in the Hohenfelde district of the city were evacuated.

Smoke from the blaze affected all four of the building's floors. Patients in adjacent buildings were also assessed for the effects.

The cause of the fire was initially unclear, as was the extent of the damage. One ward had been completely burnt out, according to a dpa reporter at the scene.

Rescue work was complete and the fire doused after around 20 minutes, a fire department spokesman said.

Firefighters had rescued people through windows, he said. Around 160 rescue workers were deployed.

The hospital, part of a group owned by the Catholic archdiocese of Hamburg, is one of the largest denominational hospitals in northern Germany. It has about 600 beds and treats approximately 93,000 patients each year.

"I'm deeply concerned and very sad. I am with the deceased and injured in my thoughts and in my prayers," Archbishop Stefan Hesse said.

He paid tribute to the rescue services for their work and called on Hamburg's parishes to remember all involved in their Sunday services.

Hesse was due to visit the hospital on Sunday afternoon.

Hamburg police and the fire department are investigating the blaze.

A hospital spokeswoman said the hospital's operating theatres had been unaffected.