20180131 Student hostel in Penang gutted by fire
Malaysia Jan 31 2018 “Apartment houses”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Student hostel in Penang gutted by fire
Updated: 2018-01-31 10:58
GEORGE TOWN: A double-storey college student hostel near Esplanade here was damaged in a fire that gutted the upper floor of the building.
Beach Street Fire and Rescue Department chief Mohd Rozairi Abdul Rahim said they were alerted to the fire at the pre-war building at 9.08pm Tuesday.
He said 23 firemen from the Beach Street and Perak Road fire stations were deployed and arrived seven minutes later. They were also assisted by voluntary firemen.
“We managed to control the fire at 9.48pm and no one was injured. There was no one inside the building at the time, which made our efforts easier.
“The cause of the fire is still being investigated,” he said.
He said the fire damaged 50% of the building but they managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the ground floor.
“The fire did not spread to neighbouring units,” he added.
The lower floor of the building was where the student lounge was located while the upper floor was turned into a hostel.
A student who declined to be named said there were usually more than 20 students in one unit.
She said it was possible that the unit was empty as students had returned home due to the public holiday Wednesday (Jan 31).
Web Source: The Star Online
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/01/31/student-hostel-in-penang-gutted-by-fire/