MONTREAL - One man is dead after a fire broke out at St. Mary's hospital in a special indoor smoking room for patients.
The man's body was found after firefighters extinguished a small fire which saw a foam sofa catch fire and release a large amount of smoke.
At this point officials do not know if the 62-year-old man, who recently had a stroke, suffered a fatal event before the fire, or if he died from smoke inhalation.
The provincial Tobacco Act, which banned smoking from private designated smoking rooms in 2008, allows an exception for psychiatric patients at St. Mary's Hospital.
Officials told CTV Montreal that surveillance cameras kept constant watch on the smoking room but could not say whether the man was being supervised by staff.
Dozens of people had to be evacuated from the hospital in Cote-des-Neiges.
One patient, Jonathan Mahan, was about to undergo surgery when it was suddenly called off. "I was just pulled out of the hospital and they said there was a fire," said Mahan. Patients and staff were allowed to return by 10:45 a.m.
St. Mary's brass says it plans an internal investigation.
"We are very distressed by that situation and we sure will look at what will happen in the future," said Dr. Suzanne Lamarre who said that the victim suffered a complex condition that would not have allowed him to venture outside to light up.
