The Fire and Rescue Department today revealed that there was a small fire which broke out in the intensive care unit of the Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Johor Baru, some 10 days before Tuesday’s blaze that killed six and injured 11 others.

Johor Baru Fire and Rescue chief Ibrahim Omar reportedly told a press conference today that the first fire occurred on Oct 15.

“We got a call about the fire due to a faulty socket that burst into flames in the ICU ward of the hospital, but by the time we got there the fire had already been put out by hospital staff,” he was quoted as saying by English daily theSun.

Ibrahim said, following the investigations, he had suggested to the hospital that their engineering department to do tests on the sockets in the ward.

It was also revealed that the hospital had not conducted a fire drill for its staff for at least two years since 2014, when Ibrahim first assumed his current post.

“We haven’t had one since I have been here, I don’t know when the last one was, it could have been way back in 2009,” he was quoted as saying.

Referring to Tuesday’s fire, Ibrahim said if there were fire drills and the ICU block had a first response team, the recovery of victims would have been faster.

He also said most parts of the hospital had a first response team except for the ICU ward, despite it being a legal requirement that every building has its own first response team.

“When we got there everyone had panicked and there was chaos because there wasn’t a first response team,” he said.

‘More than seven fires in past four years’

English daily The Star, meanwhile, reported that there have been more than seven fires at the hospital in the past four years.

The report quoted sources who said that although there were no reported deaths or injuries, these fires took place at the ICU, on the ground floor and a mart.

It also quoted security sources who said that the previous fires were mainly caused by electrical short circuit, electrical overloading and cigarette butts.

This is on top of fire hazards including no proper sprinkler system, narrow escape paths and blocked emergency exits.

Separately, Bernama reported the Fire and Rescue Department has denied claims that Tuesday’s fire was caused by a charging mobile phone.

Johor Fire and Rescue Operations Division assistant director Mohd Rizal Buang said the actual cause of the fire had yet to be identified as investigations was still ongoing.

“I personally led the operations, so witnesses informed the fire originated from the treatment room.

“If we take a look, the treatment room only has a refrigerator to accommodate medicine and that’s all, we do not see any fire hazard as claimed like charging of battery and so so. That was not there,” he told reporters at the hospital today.

In the meantime, Mohd Rizal said the department also suggested that every building, especially old ones, should be examined for their safety level and upgrading of security system.

“For example, at the district level meeting, we have suggested that old buildings be upgraded using non flammable materials,” he said.

Yesterday, just one day after the tragedy, another incident caused further alarm at the hospital as plumes of smoke emerged from an operating theatre caused by a short-circuit.

An inter-agency task force had already been set-up to investigate the fire.