Early in the evening of this Saturday, November 12, a fire broke out in one of the rooms of the Bethesda clinic in Saint-Pierre. The healthcare facility, belonging to the Iris Santé Group, had 80 hospitalized patients and 18 employees.
Despite the rapid intervention of the firefighters and the responsiveness of the personnel present on site, the human toll remains very heavy. Sylvie Clain-Vitry, Deputy CEO of the group announces with deep sadness the death of two patients of the establishment: “We are all in shock. The fire started from a room located on the ground floor of the plant, in a wing that mainly housed elderly people. The two deceased patients were in two rooms facing where the fire would have broken out “. .
The sub-prefect of Saint-Pierre, as well as an elected representative of the town hall of Saint-Pierre, went to the site of the fire. The Many Victims Plan was activated to provide logistical and coordination support. Around midnight, “two units of the plant secured by the fire brigade were able to reopen”reassures the Director General. 55 patients were able to return to their rooms. All the others were evacuated to nearby health facilities that had space.”.
The management of the clinic would like to point out that no other patients were injured except for the one who was in the room from which the fire would have started and who was hospitalized at the CHU. An investigation was opened by the Saint-Pierre prosecutor’s office on Saturday evening to find out the exact causes of this terrible disaster.
A psychological unit will be set up to support the families and staff of the facility. The management of the Bethesda clinic, all the staff and the management of the Iris Santé group extend their deepest condolences to the families of the two deceased patients.
