SIBU, Nov 18: The Sibu Hospital was evacuated this morning, after a fire was detected.
The Sibu Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) station was alerted to the situation at 8.19am.
Nineteen Bomba personnel from the Sibu and Sungai Merah fire stations were subsequently deployed to the scene.
According to a source, smoke was spotted being emitted from the ceiling in the male patient ward’s toilet, on level 2 in the main block. The hospital initiated evacuation procedures to bring patients to safety.
The Bomba personnel managed to trace the source of the smoke and extinguish the fire using a hose reel from the hospital building.
No injuries were reported. The source of the fire is still under investigation.
Meanwhile, The Star reported that nearly 1,000 patients, staff and visitors were evacuated from the hospital’s 18 wards.
Sibu Bomba acting chief, Wan Kamaruddin Ahmad was reported as attributing the fire to a faulty blower of the air-cond system in the toilet area of the ward.
The Star also reported Sibu Hosital director Dr Ngiam Hie Ung as saying all patients who were evacuated from their respective wards were later returned to their wards at about 11am except for those in the male medical ward who were placed at other wards while the affected part of the air-cond system is being rectified. — DayakDaily
