Fire in N.Macedonian COVID-19 hospital kills at least 10

At least ten people were killed when a fire broke out in a makeshift hospital for COVID-19 patients in the North Macedonian town of Tetovo, the country’s health minister said on Wednesday.

“Ten people have been confirmed dead in the blaze so far, but the number could rise. It is a very sad day,” Health Minister Venko Filipce said on Twitter.

Local media showed a massive blaze at the hospital in the town’s west as firefighters raced to the scene. The fire was extinguished after a few hours.

It was unclear how many patients were in the hospital when the fire broke out around 9 p.m. (1900 GMT), a senior government official told Reuters, declining to be named.