Hospital Sultanah Aminah fire: Special committee to investigate thoroughly

Its minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said it is too early to speculate on the cause of the fire which killed six people.

"We are informed that the rapidity of the spread of the fire and huge columns of smoke hindered rescue efforts," he said in a press statement today.

He also thanked the Fire and Rescue Department for preventing the fire from spreading to the adjacent part of the building and the staff of HSA for evacuating 467 patients to safety.

"We would like to express our deepest condolences to the families of those who died in the fire and our prayers for them to have the strength to overcome this very difficult situation," he said.

Four female patients and two male patients died in the fire while a male patient was saved. During the incident, 294 patients and 193 hospital staff were reported to be in the building.

Meanwhile, Sultan Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has ordered the Royal Ward in HSA to be used to treat Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients following the fire today.