KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Sparks from an electrical point that was exposed to water caused today’s fire at the operating theatre in the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru.

Police confirmed that water from cleaning works on the second floor of the main building splashed into the electrical outlet in the operation theatre on the first floor, causing the smoke that was detected earlier this afternoon.

 

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“The spark occurred at around 1.50pm when water from cleaning works on the second floor splashed into a plug point in the operation room on the first floor.

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“The spark caused smoke to emit but no one was injured due to the quick action of hospital staff,” Johor Baru (South) police chief ACP Sulaiman Salleh said, as reported by The Star Online.

The smoke triggered the evacuation of the hospital staff and patients for the second day in a row.

Sulaiman said the surgery room is still under renovation.

“We have closed down the main building for 24 hours due to security reasons,” he added.

 

 

Earlier today, state news agency Bernama reported that all staff and patients were evacuated from the hospital main building after smoke was detected at 1.45pm.

Bernama reported there was a scramble after smoke was detected. Two hospital staff ran out calling for Ibrahim Omar, the Johor Baru station chief of the Fire and Rescue Department.

Within minutes, all patients from the Emergency and Trauma Department were moved outside to the parking lot in front of the building.

Medical staff still dressed in their blue-coloured scrubs and patients from the surrounding buildings followed suit about 10 minutes later.

Yesterday, fire had broke at the hospital around 9am, claiming six lives. Bernama reported that 294 patients and 193 hospital staff in the building were affected.