Fire at Malaysian hospital kills 6

By P Prem Kumar

KUALA LUMPUR (AA) – A fire broke at a Malaysian government hospital Tuesday afternoon, killing six patients and seriously injuring 11 others.

The fire at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in southern Johor state, believed to have been caused by an electrical short-circuit, was brought under control by the fire and rescue department after two hours.

Health Minister S Subramaniam said the fire broke in the hospital’s intensive care unit at 9 a.m. (0100GMT).

"The Ministry of Health has taken all necessary rescue actions and precautions to safeguard the rest of the patients and staff, including evacuating them to ensure their safety,” he said in a statement.

"The cause of the fire is still under investigation and all relevant agencies are working together to keep the situation under control," he added.

Subramaniam said six patients had died and another had been transferred to the Burn Unit at a neighboring general hospital.

He added, "10 of our staff were also affected with injuries, whereby two of them had been transferred to nearby hospital for treatment."

Prime Minister Najib Razak also expressed concern in a tweet posted immediately after news of the incident appeared on social media, saying he is awaiting the latest report.

"Condolences to the families of victims in the fire incident. The police force, fire and rescue as well as Health Ministry are managing situation there,” the premier said.

"The government will conduct a detailed investigation as soon as possible to identify cause of fire and increase safety measures.”