Babies were evacuated from Rotunda after ‘electrical fire’

‘Nobody at risk’ at Dublin maternity hospital in April incident

Rotunda fire: Prof Fergal Malone, master of the Rotunda in Dublin, on a ward in 2015
Rotunda fire: Prof Fergal Malone, master of the Rotunda in Dublin, on a ward in 2015

Babies had to be evacuated from an intensive-care unit in April after a fire broke out at the Rotunda in Dublin.

The maternity hospital confirmed that nobody was hurt and that “everyone was catered for” in the aftermath of the incident. A spokesman told The Irish Times that standard procedure was followed after the fire alarm sounded in the neonatal-care unit; its intensive-care section has nine cots.

“All babies were moved out of the ICU and into the high-dependency area of our own hospital. The ICU was closed for seven days in total,” he said.

The fire, which was small, is understood to have been caused by an electrical fault, according to the Medical Independent. A fire-risk assessment is now being carried across the Rotunda, on Parnell Square.

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“The hospital is still waiting for the full report,” said the spokesman. “However, all sockets were replaced in the area before it reopened, and some other areas have also had remedial work undertaken since then.”

Jack Power

Jack Power

Jack Power is acting Europe Correspondent of The Irish Times