Dublin's St Vincent's Hospital is on standby this evening as a major emergency was declared at Wexford General Hospital.
There have been 207 patients evacuated after a major fire broke out at the health facility at around 4pm this afternoon. The decision to evacuate the entire hospital was made just after 6pm.
The fire has been brought under control but there is understood to be major damage to the hospital structure. There has been water and smoke damage in wards.
Read more: Hugely popular Mulligan's in Sandymount on the market for €2.5m
According to RTE St Vincent's Hospital has said it is on standby to provide assistance if required. It said it is working with HSE crisis management teams and that it will do whatever it can to support colleagues in Wexford.
The blaze is believe to have broken out on the second floor of the building. Locals in the area have been told to close all windows and doors and turn off any air ventilation.
At least eight units of the Wexford fire service are on scene while National Ambulance Service paramedics have been moving patients. Gardai and the civil defence have also been on scene.
A garda spokesman said this evening: "The National Ambulance Service are working with the Hospital to treat patients and transport them to hospitals in Kilkenny, Cork and Dublin. The hospital is coordinating with the relevant authorities regarding finding the location, cause of the fire and assessing the full damage.
"We would ask the public not to come to the Hospital and to stay away from the area. Anyone requiring Emergency Care in the Wexford region should attend their closest alternative Accident and Emergency service. A helpline for patient’s families and their loved ones will be set up as soon as possible to deal with queries."
READ NEXT:
- Dublin Bus drivers at brink of not stopping at popular stops due to ongoing security issues
- Popular Dublin pub owner dies unexpectedly at Manchester United game
- RTE's Claire Byrne slams hotels for 'laughing in our face' over St Patrick's Day prices
- Dallas star set to lead St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin
- Underage football team heartbroken after pitch destroyed by scramblers
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
