Thick smoke billowing from the CRC wing under construction.
Body of Teguh taken out of the CRC auditorium.
A nurse carries an infant, a patient, back to the hospital after being given the all-clear by firemen to re-enter.
KUCHING: An Indonesian construction worker died of smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at the auditorium of the soon-to-be-completed Clinical Research Centre (CRC) wing of Sarawak General Hospital late yesterday afternoon.
The fire and thick smoke forced the evacuation of 151 patients, ranging from babies to the elderly, from nine wards but there was no panic stations nor incidents.
The deceased was identified as Teguh Praytino, in his 30s, who was installing the ceiling in the auditorium of the new wing- adjacent to the hospital’s Accident & Emergency ward- when the fire broke out at 5pm.
The fire was believed to have been caused by welding sparks which set ablaze construction material and debris, some of which were said to be inflammable, resulting in thick smoke which rapidly filled the auditorium.
Three other workers were able to scramble to safety at the onset of the fire, but Teguh was said to have become trapped inside the ceiling where his partially burnt body was found, and died from excessive smoke inhalation.
A total of 17 firemen from the Batu Lintang and Padungan stations, who arrived at the scene within minutes of receiving a distress call, were able to swiftly bring the situation under control.
State Bomba director Nor Hisham Mohammad said his personnel did not encounter any untoward problem in putting out the flames as the CRC wing was equipped with an automatic sprinkler system which was activated when the fire first broke out.
He added that damage from the fire was restricted to the auditorium and did not affect the other floors of the new wing or other sections of the hospital.
State Health Department director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan, who rushed to the hospital when notified of the fire, said a total of 151 patients from nine wards were evacuated to the nearby tennis courts and parking lots when the fire alarm sounded.
The patients, along with family members, were allowed to return to their wards about 90 minutes later after firemen gave the green-light to re-enter the hospital.
Meanwhile, Batu Lintang state assemblyman See Chee How, who was also present at the scene, called the fire an industrial accident and not the fault of hospital authorities.
He said he was impressed by the evacuation procedure which was handled in a professional and calm manner, and also expressed his sadness over Teguh’s death.
It was learned that construction of the new CRC wing began in early 2011 and is currently about 85 percent completed.
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