HSA Fire: Thick smoke and lack of visibility hampered rescue operations (Updated)

JOHOR BARU: Thick billowing smoke, darkness and intense heat hampered the speed at which patients from the Intensive Care Unit of the Sultanah Aminah hospital (HSA) here were evacuated on Tuesday.
Johor Fire and Rescue Department Operation commander Ibrahim Omar, who recalled the rescue and evacuation operation, said: "It was a big challenge for firefighters to evacuate patients who were on ventilators and life-support equipment. The ICU was engulfed with smoke. It was dark and there were so many machines and equipment inside."
He and a 16-member team arrived at 9am and managed to safely evacuate one out of the seven people inside the ICU.
We managed to evacuate the first patient at 9.12am. We were only able to remove the six who succumbed at 10.55am. It was sad that we could not save them," said Ibrahim.
He reiterated that what hampered their effort was the thick smoke, darkness and the falling ceilings.
"By the time we arrived, the majority of the staff had left the building safely," said Ibrahim.
On the forensic tests done by the department together with the Putrajaya Fire and Rescue Headquarters, he said, the result should be known within two weeks.
While waiting for the results, he urged the people not to speculate and create unnecessary fear and tension as it will have a negative impact on the nation.
Ibrahim advised the public to lookout for emergency exit doors while inside a building so that they are aware of the direction to escape in the event of a fire.
Meanwhile, serious doubts have been cast over the safety of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital after police and the Fire and Rescue Department shut down the main building of the hospital for 24 hours.
Fire engines and firemen will be stationed outside the hospital round the clock after the hospital was evacuated for the second time today due to a "fire scare".
Johor Fire and Rescue Department operation division assistant director Mohd Rizal Buang said that the main block of the hospital had been shut down for 24 hours to ascertain its safety.
Johor Baru Fire and Rescue Department station chief Ibrahim Omar said the ICU was not equipped with fire sprinklers.
"As the building is old, there were no sprinklers in the ward. There are water sprinklers but most wards, including the ICU don't have sprinklers in them."