KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 ― A building in the five-star The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort in Jalan Teluk Datai, Langkawi island was destroyed after catching fire twice within 10 hours.

A spokesman of the Kedah Fire and Rescue Department said fire first broke out at about 4.04pm yesterday before it happened again after midnight at the same place, located about 40 km from Kuah town.

He said firemen from the Langkawi and Persiaran Putra stations were sent to put out the fires.

"At about 4.04pm yesterday, firemen from the two stations were dispatched in response to an emergency call, and they managed to put out the blaze at about 10pm.

"However, at about 1.13am, we received another call and rushed to the same location to fight the blaze,” he said in a statement today.

He said the fire was fanned by strong winds and spread rapidly to engulf almost the entire block of the building.

"Firefighting operations were still going on this morning. Firemen battling the blaze faced problems in getting water supply and gaining access to the part of the building which was on fire,” he said.

He said the firefighters had to employ the fire-break method at the south and north wings of the building by shooting torrents of water stretching some 100 feet from a water tender. ― Bernama