Fire dept takes samples from ICU for analysis

JOHOR BARU: The Johor Fire and Rescue Department has taken several samples from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) where a fire broke out, for analysis.
Its Operations Division assistant director, Mohd Rizal Buang said the samples would be sent to the department's laboratory soonest to determine the cause of fire which claimed the lives of six people.
"The soonest the results on the analysis and investigation report can be ready is in two weeks' time. However, I would like to stress here that we will not face that problem as we have vast experience in determining causes of a fire.
"In fact, we have our own laboratory to ease the process," he told reporters here.
Mohd Rizal said initial investigations revealed that the fire alarm system located at the (ICU) ward was fully functioning at the time of the incident.
He also said a witness claimed that the blaze started from a treatment room in the ICU before spreading.
"We found that almost 80 per cent of the ward was destroyed," Mohd Rizal said, adding that 10 staff including an intern were on duty during the incident.
Some of them were busy evacuating the patients when the fire broke out with thick smoke filling the area, forcing the firefighters to smash the windows for ventilation, he said.
Mohd Rizal said a total of 166 firefighters in 10 fire engines from five stations were dispatched to the scene after receiving a distress call at 8.56am.
The operations ended at 1.30pm, he added. — Bernama