Two Dead and At Least 34 Injured in Roof Fire at Ludwigslust Hospital

Care and Information for Relatives

According to the fire department, the patients are being cared for at a safe location on the hospital grounds. Numerous relatives of patients have gathered in front of the hospital and are waiting for information. A telephone hotline has been set up for relatives at 03874/433502.

According to initial findings, the fire broke out in a patient room at the Helene-von-Bülow-Klinikum. The roof of the hospital reportedly caught fire around 4:30 a.m. Flames and smoke poured from the roof of the five-story building. The roof of the radiology department also caught fire.

Source of Fire and Spread

A major operation by the fire department has been underway at the LUP-Klinikum since the early morning hours. All surrounding fire departments have been alerted. The fire is now under control, with no visible open flames. It was initially unclear how many people had been removed from the hospital.

Hospital staff pushed patients out of the building across the hospital grounds. People wrapped in rescue blankets sat on the lawn in front of the building. Some patients were able to walk slowly on their own, while others waited in wheelchairs and on benches in front of the clinic for the operation to end. Many evacuees had draped towels over their shoulders.

Evacuation and Rescue

Due to the heavy smoke development, residents are asked to keep windows and doors closed. The smoke spread rapidly throughout the entire clinic building, according to reports from the "Nordkurier".

The hospital is currently being fully evacuated — including the outbuildings. The emergency room was temporarily inaccessible but has since been reopened. At the time the fire broke out, 82 patients were in the affected ward, according to "Bild" information.

The hospital is the only hospital in the city of Ludwigslust. According to the hospital's website, the hospital has 160 beds. As an acute care clinic, the facility ensures basic and standard care for the region, according to its own statements.

Reporting and Sources

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) and AFP reported consistently on the fire. NDR and ZDFheute also picked up the report. An NDR reporter said on site: "Das Feuer soll in einem Patientenzimmer ausgebrochen sein". The report was broadcast on July 2, 2026, on Deutschlandfunk.

Police described the situation on site in the morning as extremely "dynamisch". Rescue workers were fighting to save lives in the morning, as reporters described. The exact cause of the fire was initially unclear. No findings were yet available regarding the extent of damage to the building.

Background: The Helene-von-Bülow-Klinikum

In light of the ongoing evacuation, emergency services asked relatives for patience. The telephone hotline at 03874/433502 remained staffed during the operation. The hospital is located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, approximately 40 kilometers south of the state capital Schwerin.

The authorities announced further information during the course of the day. Investigations into the cause of the fire have been initiated. The operation for the fire department remained ongoing until the firefighting work was completed.

The clinic, known as the Helene-von-Bülow-Klinikum, is part of the LUP-Klinikum of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. According to information from the "Bild" newspaper, 82 patients were in the affected ward at the time the fire broke out. They were brought to safety along with the staff.

According to emergency services, the roof fire spread from the patient room via the building's technical systems to the roof. As a result, the smoke was able to spread quickly throughout the entire clinic building, according to the "Nordkurier". The fire department warned the population about the heavy smoke development in the urban area.