Tehran, Iran – A tragic fire in the basement of a hospital in Rasht, a city in northern Iran, has resulted in the deaths of nine patients.

According to local authorities, six women and three men in the intensive care unit of Qaem Hospital were among the fatalities, while all other patients were safely evacuated.

Mohammad Taghi Ashoubi, the head of Gilan University of Medical Sciences, reported on Tuesday that an intubated patient in the ICU had succumbed to injuries, with eight others having passed away earlier.

"The Gilan medical examiner is currently investigating the cause of death for these patients," he told the state-run IRNA news agency.

Affected infants were moved to the 17 Shahrivar Children’s Hospital and are reportedly in good health.

The fire originated in a room on the hospital's underground floor, where the emergency power generators are housed, according to state media.

While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, there are unconfirmed reports suggesting it may be linked to the use of emergency power generators due to power outages as Iran faces extreme summer heat.

The fire started around 1:30am (22:00 GMT on Monday), with the precise cause under scrutiny.

بر اساس گزارش های افراد حاضر در محل فاجعه آتش‌سوزی #بیمارستان_قائم_رشت این آتش سوزی پس از قطع طولانی مدت برق بیمارستان و استفاده از برق اضطراری از موتورخانه شروع شده و بیماران بستری در بخش مراقبت‌های ویژه به دلیل خفگی ناشی از نشت دود کشته شدند.#رشت#گیلان pic.twitter.com/iJUfTzGbJB

— Hyrcani Human Rights Media (@HyrcaniHRM) June 18, 2024

Translation: According to reports from people present at the site of the fire disaster at Rasht’s Qaem Hospital, the fire originated from the power generators’ room after a prolonged power cut in the hospital. Patients in the ICU died due to smoke inhalation.

The 250-bed hospital was treating 142 patients at the time, 33 of whom were in intensive care. Many individuals were transferred to other healthcare facilities in the region.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has coordinated with provincial officials to provide aid to the injured, inspect the hospital's safety for resumption of operations, and investigate the fire's cause.

Hadi Salimi of the Red Crescent Society stated that 26 teams with 75 emergency responders were deployed from eight counties to the site.

In January, a significant fire broke out at the 17-floor Gandhi hospital in Tehran, yet no casualties occurred. In June 2020, a clinic fire and subsequent gas explosion in northern Tehran claimed 19 lives.

Last November, a fire at a poorly maintained drug rehab center in Langarud, Gilan province, caused the deaths of 36 people trapped inside. The fire was allegedly set by a former patient attempting to free residents. The facility was housing 49 people despite its 30-bed capacity.