Six people were killed Tuesday (25/10) morning after a fire broke out at 9am in the ICU unit of Sultan Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru.
Patients from other wards were evacuated by hospital staff to the main grounds outside the building, where tents were set up to provide shade.
Five fire trucks arrived on scene shortly after the fire started.
The Fire and Rescue Department confirmed that seven people were trapped in the building, with one successfully rescued. The survivor suffered 80% burns on the body.
Johor Baru (South) Police Chief ACP Sulaiman Salleh said that all victims were patients warded at the ICU, located on the second flood of the hospital’s main building. All in their 50s, it is believed they died from smoke inhalation.
He says that initial investigations show the fire could have been caused by a short circuit. Further investigations are being carried out.
Among those safely evacuated were patients from the maternity ward, some who had just given birth.
This is the second fire caused by a short circuit.
Last July, a fire broke out in the main power control room of KPJ Specialist Hospital in Damai, Sabah, causing for 28 patients to be evacuated.