Prosecutors complete on-scene investigation into Piatra Neamt hospital fire

The Attorney General's Office has announced on Monday that prosecutors have completed an investigation at the scene of a fire that broke out at the intensive care unit inside the Piatra Neamt County Hospital, collected DNA evidence to establish the identity of five of the dead persons, and conducted forensic autopsies on the victims.

The office clarified in a press statement on Monday the latest developments in the investigations taking place at the Piatra Neamt County Hospital:

* In order to round the evidence, in order to ensure that the truth about all the circumstances of the case will be found, prosecutors with the Criminal Investigation and Forensic Section of the Supreme Court of Justice and Cassation asked the judge of rights and freedoms with the Piatra Neamt Courthouse to conduct a search of the Piatra Neamt Emergency County Hospital and annexes. Pursuant to the warrant issued by the judge of rights and freedoms, on the evening of November 15, 2020, under the coordination of prosecutors, the search was carried out, and documents necessary to establish the circumstances of the fire were seized.

* The investigation at the scene was completed with support from construction experts and experts of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the National Institute of Forensic Expertise, the National Institute of Forensics within the Romanian Police, the Petrosani National Institute for Research and the Development for Mining Security and Explosive Protection, the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police - Criminal Investigation Directorate and of the Neamt County Police Inspectorate.

* DNA testing was ordered to establish the identity of five of the deceased.

* Forensic autopsies were performed on the victims.

* Witness hearings were conducted.

A team of prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office, police officers and fire investigators started on Sunday the on-scene investigation into the fire in the ICU of the Piatra Neamt County Hospital.

The investigation was led by prosecutor Marius Iacob with the Attorney General's Office, who in the past handled investigations into a deadly fire at the Colectiv club in Bucharest City case and another fire at the Giulesti Maternity Hospital also in Bucharest City.

Prosecutors in this case have opened a criminal case in rem for culpable homicide and culpable negligence.

On Saturday evening, around 18:30hrs, at the Piatra Neamt County Emergency Hospital, a fire erupted that engulfed the intensive care unit there where 17 patients were hospitalised in two wards.

As many as 10 people died in the fire, and an anesthetist suffered severe burns. Six other hospitalised patients were taken to the Mobile Hospital in Letcani, a COVID support facility. A doctor of the same hospital injured in the fire was rushed on Sunday to Queen Astrid Military Hospital in Brussels, for specialist care.