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Fire at Sismanoglio Hospital: 78-year-old charged with arson
🇬🇷 Greece /Health & Science

Fire at Sismanoglio Hospital: 78-year-old charged with arson

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • A 78-year-old patient has been charged with arson and intentional property damage for starting a fire at Sismanoglio Hospital in Athens.
  • The patient initially claimed the fire was accidental, caused by a cigarette, but later admitted to intentionally setting a mattress ablaze in his ward.
  • He stated he was under significant psychological pressure and wanted to "lash out," leading to the hospital's evacuation.

Authorities have pressed charges of intentional arson and aggravated property damage against a 78-year-old patient responsible for a significant fire at Athens' Sismanoglio Hospital. The case has been referred to an investigating magistrate.

The fire broke out early Thursday morning in the first-floor Internal Medicine Ward. The patient, initially brought before a prosecutor, confessed to deliberately setting fire to a mattress in Room 10. While he first suggested the fire started accidentally from a cigarette, subsequent questioning by fire investigators led to his admission of intentionally starting the blaze.

According to reports, the patient claimed he was experiencing intense psychological distress and felt a need to "lash out." This act resulted in scenes of panic and a challenging evacuation operation for the hospital. After starting the fire, the 78-year-old left the hospital and returned home. His absence was discovered during a patient count, prompting police to locate him at his residence in Nea Filadelfeia.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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