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Mechanical Explosion at Hospital Injures 2

Explosion of mechanical equipment in basement went up chimney shaft and damaged several floors


Occupants of institutional and commercial facilities rarely consider the safety risks that front-line maintenance and engineering technicians face nearly every day on the job. Every so often, an incident occurs that offers a reminder of just how serious those risks are.

A mechanical explosion recently damaged several floors at BridgePoint Hospital Capitol Hill in Northeast Washington, D.C., according to WUSA9. Fire officials called the collapse a significant incident. They said they believe the force from an explosion of mechanical equipment in the basement of the hospital went up the chimney shaft and damaged several floors.

No one was evacuated outside of the building. During the incident, patients were moved to another part of the building. All the patients are safe, but one person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.

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February 8, 2021


Topic Area: Safety


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