FIRE BREAKS OUT MATERNITY HOSPITAL

[Anchor Lead]

A fire broke out at a maternity hospital in Cheongju, Chungcheongbukdo Province on Tuesday. Some 120 staff members and patients had to evacuate while 11 people including pregnant women and newborn babies received treatment after inhaling smoke.

[Pkg]

Flames spread from the ceiling of a parking lot. The blaze quickly spreads to the building’s outer wall and reaches the upper floors. The flames even caught a nearby building producing pitch black smoke.

[Soundbite] Nam Jae-woo(Witness) : "I saw ashes falling from the sky so I came out. I looked to find the whole building enveloped in thick smoke."

The fire broke out at a 10-story maternity hospital in Cheongju. Pregnant mothers and newborns were inside the hospital at the time. Altogether, around 120 people were inside including the medical staff and a pregnant woman who was just about to receive a C-section. The doctors, most of whom were women, had to help the expecting mothers who could barely walk, in their desperate effort to flee.

[Soundbite] (Maternity Hospital Director) : "We first evacuated the babies. There were no emergency patients. Three surgeries were scheduled today including one C-section."

47 newborn babies and pregnant women who safely evacuated the building were sent to another hospital nearby. Eleven of them had inhaled smoke but their conditions are not life threatening.

[Soundbite] Lee Seung-bae(Cheongju The West Fire Station) : "Hospital officials were quick to detect the fire and people could evacuate using the stairs."

Fire authorities issued a Level One response alert which involves the full mobilization of personnel and equipment within the jurisdiction. Around 80 firefighters and 30 pieces of equipment were deployed to the scene of fire. The blaze which also burnt vehicles at the parking lot was put out after 3 hours.