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The police in Tshwane have launched an investigation into the fire that claimed the life of a patient at Dr George Mukhari Hospital's psychiatric ward in Ga-Rankuwa yesterday.
City of Tshwane emergency services spokesperson Thabo Mabaso said his department was notified of the incident just before 19:00 last night.
"Firefighters arrived on the scene to find that the hospital staff had already extinguished the fire in a single isolation ward using portable fire extinguishers.
"A female patient aged 35 years suffered burns inside the ward and unfortunately lost her life. She was declared dead by a medical doctor on the scene," says Mabaso.
He also said 19 female patients were safely evacuated to another psychiatric ward without injuries.
"The cause of the fire is yet to be determined."
