Fire and Rescue team putting out the fire.
SANDAKAN : The one and only cinema in this district, Star Cineplex located at One Kapitol Plaza off Leila Road was on fire around 3.35pm, yesterday.
District police chief, ACP Rowell Marong, who rushed to the scene, said the fire was believed to have started from the air-conditioning located on the ground floor of the building.
“It was understood that during the incident, the cinema was filled with smoke which was inhaled from the fumes by the air-conditioning system.
“And with the power failure, members of the public watching a movie started to panic and run. As it was dark in the cinema, some managed to run for their safety by using the stairs and some have broken the building’s windows,” he said.
However, there is no casualty reported except for two young men who were injured while freeing themselves through the broken windows. Both of them received outpatient treatment at the Duchess of Kent Hospital.
The injured men were identified as Bugie and Kelvin who told the Borneo Post that they entered the cinema at 2pm to watch a movie.
“We did not know that there was a fire until we were informed by the ticket seller at the counter and a few more people that there was a fire,” they said.
Meanwhile, Rowell also denied the allegation and claim that there was a bomb explosion and the cinema was under attack.
“There was no bomb explosion or so-called ‘cinema under attack’. Members of the public who were in the cinema may have assumed that there was an explosion due to the loud sound made from the breaking of the building’s windows,” he said.
According to Sandakan Fire and Rescue Department Zone chief, Anddre Andrew, they received a distress call at 3.44pm and rushed six fire engines and a utility vehicle to the scene ten minutes later.
Anddre said the fire was put out within 15 minutes while the cause of fire and losses were still under investigation.
Twenty-six fire rescue personnel including volunteers, Malaysian Civil Defence Force personnel, Duchess of Kent Hospital and The Royal Police of Malaysia were involved in putting out the incident and rescue operation.