Germany: Man arrested after starting fire in Berlin hospital

Police arrested a man suspected of starting a fire at the Klinikum am Urban hospital in Berlin on Monday.

The overnight blaze caused injuries to four people, including three patients and a nurse.

"We had to evacuate the entire emergency department," a Berlin fire department spokesperson said. "Luckily we were able to save the woman in the elevator and there were no other serious injuries."

What we know happened so far

Police said the 48-year-old man is believed to have set fire to two hospital beds in the corridor on the third floor of the building.

Smoke from the fire drifted into the elevator shafts. One person who was stuck in a lift at the time was taken to intensive care in another hospital after suffering from smoke poisoning.

She was released on Monday and was able to return to her previous ward. 

The suspect also allegedly tried to set fire to a bin in the hospital's foyer but was prevented by firefighters.

Police said the man was not a patient at the hospital but had wanted to be admitted there.

They are investigating the suspect for arson.

Hospitals have to follow strict regulations which prohibit beds from being left in corridors as they can pose a safety risk.

A spokesperson for the hospital said that it was not yet known whether the beds that were set alight overnight were in violation of the regulations or not.

According to the hospital's own website, it has 614 beds across 12 medical departments. It has around 300 doctors and 605 other medical staff who treat some 65,000 patients per year.

ab/rc (dpa, AP)