Fire at Dr. Soetomo Hospital Originated on the 5th Floor
A fire at Dr. Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia, on the morning of May 15, 2026, originated from the 5th floor of the Integrated Heart Center building. The incident caused panic, with patients being evacuated, and tragically resulted in the death of one patient in the ICU. Investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the fire, and concerns have been raised about the functionality of fire hydrants at the hospital.
The fire, which occurred in the hospital’s Integrated Heart Center building, triggered panic. Several patients were evacuated in a hurry, while one patient in the ICU was reported to have died.
The incident was first reported around 6:30 a.m. From outside the hospital area, thick black smoke was seen billowing from the top of the building, attracting the attention of local residents.
The Head of the Surabaya City Fire and Rescue Service, Laksita Rini Sevriani, confirmed that there were casualties in the incident.
“In the ICU, one patient has been declared dead. The other was evacuated,” she told reporters on Friday, May 15, 2026.
A joint team immediately moved quickly to evacuate dozens of patients from the smoke-filled building. At least 33 patients were transferred to the Emergency Unit to receive further medical treatment.
According to Rini, the fire broke out in one of the vital rooms on the 5th floor of the Integrated Heart Center building.
“The incident occurred on the 5th floor of the Integrated Heart Center. The main source of the fire was in the operating room,” she said.
The smoke from the fire is said to have spread widely, almost filling the entire building. This made the evacuation process quite dramatic.
“Smoke reached from the 1st to the 6th floor. The main source was the heart surgery room,” she said.
Although the flames were eventually brought under control, firefighters continued to work on ventilating the smoke from inside the hospital building.
In the midst of the handling process, a finding emerged that has become a focus of attention. Based on information gathered at the scene, two fire hydrants at Dr. Soetomo Hospital were reportedly not functioning when they were to be used to help extinguish the fire.
Not only were they not working, but the hydrants were also reportedly dry, which initially hampered the fire response.
As of now, the management of Dr. Soetomo Hospital has not provided an official statement regarding the exact cause of the fire or the alleged non-functioning hydrants.