Man arrested after fire closes A&E department
A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson from a fire that closed the accident and emergency department at Lincoln County Hospital.
Patients and staff evacuated the department at around 03:00 am, according to the BBC.
According to reports, Lincolnshire Police said no one was injured.
The blaze reportedly caused ‘extensive damage’ however.
A 57-year-old man has been arrested and remains in Police custody for questioning.
The fire allegedly started in the radiology room.
Police said, “We believe this to be an isolated incident and we will remain on scene and in the local area over the next few days while we make our inquiries”.
The fire closed the A&E department.
The trust declared a major incident and said anyone needing non-life-threatening urgent or emergency care should call 111 visit NHS 111 online for advice.
ULHT said, “While we work to reopen our Emergency Department, we ask that you do not attend”.
According to reports, the fire service said six crews were called to extinguish the fire.
For the hospital, a spokesman said: “Anyone coming to A&E who doesn’t need urgent emergency treatment is likely to have a long wait, as we will always prioritise seeing patients in the greatest need of our care”.
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