A patient lighting a cigarette while carrying an oxygen bottle has been blamed for the fire at Torrevieja Hospital this week.
Two people were injured after a patient reportedly caused an explosion on the second floor of the Hospital Universitario de Torrevieja at around noon on Friday.
According to early findings, the patient left his room carrying an oxygen cylinder before entering an empty room with a cigarette and lighter.
When he lit the cigarette, the oxygen is believed to have triggered an explosion and fire.
The patient suffered severe second and third-degree burns across 40% of his body and was transferred to the burns unit at Hospital La Fe in Valencia, reports La Sexta.
Another person remains in intensive care suffering from smoke inhalation.
Around 10 hospital employees also required treatment for minor smoke inhalation injuries after helping evacuate patients during the emergency.
The fire triggered a major emergency response, with firefighters from both Torrevieja and Orihuela rushing to the scene.
Hospital authorities activated the evacuation plan and cleared the entire second floor of the building for several hours while emergency crews tackled the blaze and ventilated the area.
A total of 90 patients were relocated to other parts of the hospital.
Outpatient appointments in radiology and rehabilitation were also suspended following the incident.
