Turkey extends condolences to Romania over deadly hospital fire

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey on Friday extended condolences to Romania over the loss of lives in a fire incident at a hospital in the port city of Constanta.

"We have received the news with sorrow that the fire that broke out this morning (1 October) at a hospital in Constanta, Romania, caused loss of lives and injuries," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Describing the incident as "tragic," the ministry condoled with the families of the victims who lost their lives, the "friendly people" and government of Romania, as well as wished speedy recovery to the injured.

The blaze erupted at the COVID-19 unit of the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Constanta, leaving at least nine people dead, according to Romania’s Agerpres news agency.

The fire was extinguished after the entire facility was evacuated, it added.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.