THESSALONIKI – Two persons were placed on ventilators at the Papanicolaou hospital following a fire on Friday at a building in the center of Thessaloniki that also led to the evacuation of several other people.

Another six people were admitted at the same hospital with minor breathing issues, while three more have been admitted to the Agios Dimitrios hospital with similar issues.

Firefighting coordinator for Central & East Macedonia and Thrace Marios Apostolidis said the Fire Brigade dispatched 40 firefighters with 12 firetrucks and a crane to an office building. The fire broke out at an abandoned building on Egnatias & Aristotelous Streets that contained garbage, forcing the evacuation in the next door building of 44 individuals including children who were attending a tutoring center (frondistirio).