Two people taken to hospital as emergency services attend care home incident
A hazard response team, 10 double-crewed ambulances, and fire crews are among the emergency services at Ulwell Road in Swanage.
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Two people have been taken to hospital after emergency services attended a care home in Dorset.
A South Western Ambulance Service spokesperson said they were called at 5.20am on Wednesday to an incident in Swanage, sending a hazard response team, 10 double-crewed ambulances and “a significant number of additional resources”.
“Two patients were conveyed by land ambulance to Poole Hospital,” they added.
People living near the scene in Ulwell Road saw Gainsborough Care Home residents being taken out of the building.
One man, who did not want to give his name, told the PA news agency: “They evacuated the care home, Gainsborough Care Home.
“They have taken all the patients out but the emergency services are still on the scene.”
He said he saw some residents being taken out in wheelchairs.
He estimated there were two fire engines, three to four police cars and around eight or nine ambulances at the scene, where the road remains closed.
Katie Lobban, a spokesperson for SGN, a gas distribution company, said they were called to Gainsborough Care Home in Swanage earlier today as the national gas emergency service for the south of England.
“Our engineers are waiting for access to the building to complete safety checks,” she said.
“Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this tragic incident.”
A Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said they were called to the scene to assist ambulance crews at 7.47am.
Group manager Neil Tidball said: “We currently have four fire crews on scene from Swanage, Wareham, Westbourne, Poole, a support vehicle from Dorchester, along with two crews from Winchester (Hampshire and IoW FRS).
“Firefighters are working with Dorset Police, South West Ambulance Service and other partners to resolve this incident.”
Dorset Police said they could not yet confirm any details of the incident.
The home, run by Agincare, has 48 residents, all elderly and some with dementia.
All of the residents were taken to a nearby church hall.
The family of one resident was called by the company on Wednesday morning and told that everyone was “fine”.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.