ISTANBUL

Renovation work for the fire-damaged hospital in Istanbul will conclude by the end of this year, according to the hospital foundation's head.

Konstantin Yuvanidis told Anadolu Agency that the fire broke out in a section of the Balikli Greek Hospital where elderly people were being treated.

Yuvanidis said the hospital which was established in 1454 under an edict of Mehmed the Conqueror, has been operational since 1753 and that the gutted part was built in 1894.

In week-long cleaning work carried out by municipality teams, 300 tons of debris was removed, Yuvanidis said.

"First, the roof will be rebuilt, and then other work will start. The renovation will be completed by New Year, maybe even sooner. As soon as the renovation is completed, we will transfer the patients back to the hospital," Yuvanidis stated.

Most of the renovation costs will be covered by the government, he added.

After the fire broke out and engulfed the roof of the historic hospital, some 80 patients, mostly elderly people, in the hospital were shifted to a nearby health care institution.

The cause is still unknown and no one was injured during the fire on Aug. 4, according to Istanbul Governorship officials.