Patients treated in the street after hospital fire kills at least nine

Staff at a hospital in Brazil were forced to set up temporary beds outside in the street after a fire broke out killing at least nine patients.

Many were hastily evacuated from the Badim Hospital in Rio de Janeiro as smoke billowed from the building on Thursday night.

Television images showed medics in surgical masks tending to patients sitting in wheelchairs with IV poles beside them in the street.

Elderly and intensive care patients were among those rescued.

Firefighters said the blaze, thought to have been sparked by a short circuit within the building, was under control. According to The Rio Times the blaze has so far killed nine.

Many patients were transferred to other medical facilities, some accompanied by anxious family members.

One woman told Globo her 77-year-old father had to leave without vital medical equipment, including his neurostimulator.

Another, Fatima Chavier, told Reuters ‘lots of people wanted to jump out’ and there were ‘lots of people screaming, the BBC reports.