A patient has died after allegedly starting a fire that destroyed a ward at Clairwood Hospital in Durban, South Africa.

The 41-year-old woman was in an isolation ward when the blaze began, forcing the evacuation of 23 other patients.

“They were transferred to other available beds within Clairwood Hospital,” said health department spokesman Nathi Olifant.

The fire spread to an adjacent ward, but emergency services managed to contain it with no other reported injuries.

Dr Imran Keeka, Democratic Alliance spokesperson for health in KwaZulu-Natal, praised hospital staff who tried to tackle the blaze with fire extinguishers.

“It is heartbreaking that they were not able to get everyone out,” he said.

The incident came on a tragic day for the province’s health services, with two separate accidents involving medical transport vehicles.

One patient died when a medical bus carrying 60 people overturned near Mbazwana after hitting a cow. Two crew members and other passengers sustained minor injuries.

In a second incident, an ambulance transporting injured children also hit a cow but no further injuries were reported.

The provincial health department has launched investigations into all three incidents.

“Our province’s healthcare facilities must look and feel like places of healing,” Dr Keeka said, announcing plans for an oversight visit.