The victims of the hospital fire

The fact that as many as seven people died in the fire at Lungegård Hospital is said to have made a deep impression on the city’s residents. Six people died in the fire inside the building while one person was severely burned and died a few hours later.

These six people were reported missing by head physician Danielssen in the newspaper a few days after the fire. The newspaper Bergenske Blade reported the same day that skeletons had been found among the ruins, but perhaps Danielssen held out hope that some of those missing had managed to escape and been taken in somewhere without him knowing.

Among those who died in the fire were two boys aged nine, Simon Johannessen from Kinn and Samson Larsen Svalland from Fjelberg. They are listed in St. Jørgen’s Hospital church register along with 33-year-old Nils Ellingsen Lie from Førde and 34-year-old Helge Olsen from Sund, who was deaf and mute. The following is noted beside their names ‘These four people died in the fire at Lungegård Hospital in the early hours of Christmas Day.’ In addition, Anfind Hansen Qvamme died at the city hospital a few hours after being transported there. The church register also lists the two women who died, 16-year-old Berthe Hansdatter and 30-year-old Lovise Gundersdatter Søreide from Askevold. One of them is said to have been a warden at the hospital. The victims were buried at St. Jørgen’s cemetery on 30 January 1854.