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Firefighters were alerted to the fire at the hospital, the
Marienkrankenhaus, shortly after midnight. It broke out in a
room in the geriatric ward, on the ground floor of the building,
and spread to the facade of the floor above. Smoke spread across
the building's four floors, German news agency dpa reported.
The three people who died were men aged 84, 85 and 87, police
said in a statement. Another 34 people were injured, one of whom
was in a life-threatening condition.
A section of the hospital had to be evacuated. Injured patients
were treated mostly at the hospital itself, though two were
taken to nearby clinics. The fire was extinguished within about
20 minutes.
Firefighters said they found several patients at the windows
calling for help. People were rescued using ladders and through
the building itself.
Later Sunday, police said witness interviews suggested that a
72-year-old patient may have set the fire. He was detained at
the hospital on suspicion of arson.
Investigators are looking into whether mental illness was a
factor, police said.
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