Hospital lift fire causes evacuation

KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Laub Hassan went to visit his grandfather at the Nerve Research Centre yesterday. But he was taken aback when he was not allowed to go up to the unit on the third floor of Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

"I go to the hospital about 1pm but security would not let me go up to see my grandfather.

"I managed to get up to the second floor and then took the stairs. When I looked through the door. I saw a commotion going on," said the 18-year-old.

That "commotion" was 50 patients and workers in the unit being evacuated after smoke filled the third floor of the building.

No injuries were reported, and the patients have been moved to other wards.

Federal Territory Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Md Ali Ismail said they received a call at 1.21pm and immediately sent a fire engine.

"The smoke had come form an unused lift on the ground floor of the hospital.

"Some paper and other rubbish in the lift shaft had caught fire sending smoke up to the third floor," he said, adding that there was no report of any damage.

A hospital spokesman said they will return to the ward once the smoke clears."

And Mohd Laud did manage to see his grandfather in the end, near the lift as he was being evacuated.

Source: NST newspaper

Pictures: Berita Minggu

Traffic cop dies in collision with car

KUALA LUMPUR: A policeman returning home after a traffic operation was killed in a collision with a car.

In the 6am incident yesterday, the car driver, believed to be intoxicated, collided with Kpl Ismail Mat, 49, who was on his motorcycle travelling in the opposite side of Jalan Loke Yew near the UE3 shopping complex here.

Kpl Ismail, from the city traffic police headquarters in Jalan Bandar, was dragged under the car for about 20m before the vehicle stopped.

Initial investigations revealed that the road dividers were removed at that particular stretch for road-widening works.

He was on his way home in Kajang after conducting a traffic operation in Jalan Pinang here.

Kpl Ismail, who had serious injuries on his head, chest and legs was rushed to Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, where he was pronounced dead two hours later.

Acting city police chief SAC (1) Zulhasnan Najib Baharuddin said the 29-year-old motorist from Cheras, who was heading to the Bukit Bintang area, was nabbed soon after the incident.

"Passing motorists stopped to help and alerted the police who later detained the driver," he said.

Kpl Ismail's body will be taken to his hometown in Kampung Kuala Muda in Kedah. He leaves behind two wives and four children.

Source: Sunday Star newspaper

Picture: Metro Ahad newspaper

Young couple found dead in car

KOTA KINABALU: A couple are believed to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning after their bodies were found along the Penampang Tambunan road, about 25km from here.

Sabinus Lionson, 27, and his girlfriend Lucia Marasin, 19 were found dead inside their Proton Iswara parked by the side of the road near Kampung Kibunut at about 7.30am yesterday.

Penampang OCPD Deputy Supt Mohd Azhar Harnin said the engine and air-conditioner were still running when the bodies were discovered.

"We do not suspect any foul play. We believe they could have suffocated from fume poisoning," he said.

The bodies have been sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital here for post-mortem.

DSP Azhar said initial investigations revealed that the couple were drinking local rice wine at Kampung Moyog at about 3pm on Friday.

"A relative of the couple last saw them still drinking at about 7pm," he said.

DSP Azhar added that they left at about 10pm and had apparently stopped beside the road to rest.

"We believe they fell asleep and were suffocated by fumes emitted by the car," he said, adding that the time of death was estimated to be between 1am and 2am yesterday.

Source: Sunday Star newspaper

Crocodile attacks angler

BINTULU: Shouting at his nephew to save himself was the last thing that Sangka Mengong could do before he was dragged down by what is believed to be a crocodile at a river in Similajau, 70km from here, on Friday.

The 31-year-old plantation worker was fishing with his nephew, known only as Nicholas, 14, when the crocodile was said to have suddenly snapped at one of Sangka's legs before dragging him down into the river in the incident that took place about 6pm.

Until 7pm yesterday, a search operation mounted for him shortly after the incident by the Fire and Rescue and Sarawak Forestry departments had yet to bear any results.

Sangka is married and has a one-year-old son.

One of the victim's relatives said here that Sangka and Nicholas had hone to the river to catch prawns and that they were awake of the existence of crocodiles in the area.

However, the duo felt they would not come to harm as there had been no reported incidents of crocodile attacks there in recent years.

Source: NST newspaper