KUALA LUMPUR – Three Indian-origin Malaysians were among six persons killed when a fire broke out at the intensive care unit (ICU) of a major government hospital in southern Malaysia’s Johor Baru.
The fire, which broke out on the second floor of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital early morning, forced the mass evacuation of hundreds of patients and medical staff.
According to the police, four women and two men, all in their 50s, died in the fire. The deceased include two ethnic Indian women and an ethnic Indian man, the police said. “The government will conduct a thorough investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the fire and the safety level (at the hospital),” Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak tweeted. There were a total of 193 staff and 294 patients at the hospital when the fire broke out. A few others were injured in the blaze.
Founded in 1882, the Sultanah Aminah Hospital is a government-funded multi-specialty hospital. It is the biggest hospital in Johor.
