Smoking fire kills Chisinau disabled man

A disabled man died suffocated in smoke in his own bed in an apartment on Dimo Street early Tuesday morning. Liliana Puscasu, senior officer at the Fire & Rescue Dept, has told Info-Prim Neo that the neighbors sensed smoke coming from the apartment of the 70-year-old man, a first degree invalid. Though quick to respond, the firefighters found the man dead. Apparently he died from inhaling fumes after a cigarette he was smoking caused the bedding to smolder. Mumps continue to strike Chisinau residents. Over the past day alone the Emergency Service registered a new record high of 111 reports. Emergency doctor Anatol Proca has complained that hospitalizing mumps patients on Monday was a very difficult task due to the lack of available beds in specialized wards. Two persons have been hospitalized with general hypothermia – an 80-year-old woman and a street person, thought to be about 50. Yesterday, the Chisinau Emergency Service recorded 831 calls, dealing with 70 cases of acute viral diseases, 63 cases of trauma and 9 brain strokes.