Damage on several floors at BridgePoint Hospital
Khalida Volou, WUSA9 with permission
WASHINGTON (WUSA9) – A mechanical explosion caused damage to several floors at BridgePoint Hospital Capitol Hill in Northeast D.C. Thursday afternoon, D.C. Fire and EMS said.
D.C. Fire officials called the collapse a “significant incident.” They said a generator didn’t fall and believe the force from an explosion of mechanical equipment in the basement of the hospital went up the chimney shaft and caused damage to several floors.
When crews arrived at the scene, the explosion was contained and they found cinder blocks knocked down inside of the hospital.
No one was evacuated outside of the building. During the incident, patients were moved to another part of the building. All the patients are safe but one person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.
Upon investigation, there is no structural damage to the building.
Inspectors are looking to figure out what caused the explosion. It’s too early in the investigation to say that the cause was a generator problem, officials said.
The D.C. Fire Department plans to work closely with the Department of Regulatory Affairs to ensure that their efforts following the incident are done safely.
Streets near and around the hospital are closed in all directions. The hospital is running as normal, officials said.
BridgePoint Hospital is a 177-bed, Long Term Acute Care Hospital, with all private rooms located near the U.S. Capitol Building. The hospital currently houses COVID-19 patients.
The hospital is licensed by the District and certified by the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services. They specialize in providing healthcare services to critically ill patients who require longer hospital stays.
BridgePoint Sub-Acute and Rehabilitation Capitol Hill have 117 licensed beds including 17 Sub-Acute Unit beds specializing in the care of ventilator and tracheostomy dependent patients. The staff offers services such as short-stay rehabilitation to long-term restorative and therapeutic care.
