In the early hours of this Monday, the hospital of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in Matamoros caught fire due to a malfunction in the basement. Around 140 patients, including newborns, were transferred to other clinics due to the spread of smoke throughout the areas, which caused breathing difficulties. A baby in an incubator, covered with a blanket, was shown by Noticias Frontera until it could be moved under medical supervision.
"In the incident that started from a washing machine installed in the lowest area of the hospital, there were no fatalities," assured Matamoros Mayor Alberto Granados Favila. Firefighters, police, traffic personnel, and the Attorney General's Office (FGJ) of Tamaulipas collaborated in evacuating the patients from the hospital located at the corner of Avenida Sexta and Calle Mina.
The transfer of patients was carried out under adverse weather conditions, as the thermal sensation of two degrees prevented them from staying on the street and in the building's parking lot. Some of the patients were received by the hospitals of ISSSTE and the general 'Alfredo Pumarejo,' according to Granados Favila.
