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Fear and relief as relatives rush to attacked Ukraine hospital

REMOVING bricks and rubble by hand, thousands flocked to the scene of a devastating strike on a children's hospital in Kyiv on Monday, following a massive barrage that killed more than 30 people across the country.

Shortly after survivors of the strike emerged from the basement bunker at the Okhmatdyt children's hospital, crowds gathered to form a human chain and remove rubble piece-by-piece.

Residents, rescuers, military personnel and doctors with blood-covered scrubs all chipped in to help clear the debris from the gutted hospital, following reports that people were trapped under the rubble.

Large parts of the hospital were devastated by the strike that Ukrainian officials said was caused by a Russian cruise missile.

Two nearby hospital blocks were also heavily damaged by the explosion, with most of the windows blown out and blood smeared along its walls.

As the missiles rained down on Kyiv, Pavlo Holoviy raced to the children's hospital where his son was recovering from a recent operation.

Smoke was still rising from the wreckage as he arrived.

The 37-year-old said it was "impossible to convey" his emotions after finding his wife and son safe.

"Honestly, the main thing was to see my wife and child, I didn't pay attention to the rest," said Holoviy.

Patients, staff and family members had rushed to the basement after an air raid alarm sounded earlier on Monday, according to Natalia Svidler, 40.

"We heard a loud rumble and then the ceiling of the basement collapsed a little," said Svidler, whose son Illia was scheduled for surgery at the hospital later this week.

"Everyone got very scared, of course. Everyone started screaming and running."

Following an early morning air raid siren, medical staff had acted quickly to move patients and personnel to the facility's basement.

"For some reason, we always thought that Okhmatdyt was protected," said Nina, a 68-year-old hospital employee.

"We were 100 percent sure that (the Russians) would not hit here," she told AFP, as she described the frantic rush as staff moved children with IV drips to the bunker.

"I'd rather be killed! I've already lived! But why these children," she asked.

Broken glass and drops of blood were splashed along the halls and doors of the hospital, where emergency workers were combing the grounds looking for survivors.

"The premises are destroyed. At this stage, it is probably impossible to work," Oleksandr, a doctor at the hospital, told AFP.

A rescuer threw a small pink backpack from the window of the destroyed building, while others rolled away massive chunks of brick to clear the path for medics.

The body of an adult was covered by a foil blanket and placed on a patch of grass near the hospital.

An explosion later sounded out over the capital, sending emergency workers and residents assisting in the rescue operation running for cover.

Local authorities later said a second medical facility had been hit in Kyiv, killing at least four people.

The strike on the hospital came as cities across Ukraine were targeted by a blistering Russian bombardment early Monday, killing more than 20 people and injuring dozens more, according to officials.

Russia's defence ministry later said the damage in Kyiv had been caused by a Ukrainian air defence missile.

The ministry said Russian forces had struck their "intended" defence industry and military targets.

The rare day-time Russian bombardment came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Warsaw before heading to the NATO summit in Washington, where he was expected to plead for more military support from the country's allies.

* The writer is from AFP

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