File photo. [Intime News]
A 74-year-old man detained in connection with a blaze that destroyed a room inside a hospital at dawn in Athens has allegedly confessed to starting the fire by smoking.
The man had been admitted to Sismanoglio hospital in the northern suburb of Maroussi with symptoms of esophagitis, according to sources citing his testimony to the Fire Department’s arson crimes division. During the night, the patient next to him in the ward reported smoke in the room. The suspect then allegedly called his wife, saying he had accidentally set fire to the room, asking her to pick him up, and left, the same sources said.
Officers of the police’s motorcycle DIAS unit found and detained him near his home. When questioned, he initially said that he knew nothing about the matter but then allegedly admitted that his smoking likely caused the fire.
The Fire Department said in a press release the blaze destroyed the room but was stopped before it spread to other rooms. During the operation, 35 patients were evacuated from the first floor and 35 from the second, as a precaution.
