Patient set on fire during cancer operation in Romania

A hospital patient died after being set on fire during surgery in Romania, according to the BBC.

Surgeons at Floreasca Hospital in Bucharest reportedly used an alcohol-based disinfectant on a woman, before carrying out an operation for her pancreatic cancer. However, they later used an electric scalpel – which set the woman’s body on fire when the device came into contact with the alcohol.

She suffered burns over 40% of her body and died a week later.

Family members told Romanian media they were not given the details of what had happened and only told it was an "accident."

Health Minister Victor Costache promised an investigation into the "traumatic" incident.