Southend Hospital's intensive care unit had to be transferred to emergency power when electricity failed as a result of the floods.

It took 90 minutes for the fire service to pump all the water out of the affected areas at the hospital in Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff.

An Essex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "The water knocked out the electricity in a couple of places.

"The intensive care unit was one of those places and that has a back-up for about 45 minutes. I don't know what happens after that - thankfully we didn't find out."

But a spokesman for Southend Hospital played down the drama. He said: "There was some flooding, but that has been handled and the hospital is back to normal."

Published Monday August 12, 2002

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