Two die in hospital fire

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: At least two patients were killed when the Dr. Soedarso General Hospital in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, was gutted by fire on Sunday.

Syariat, 74, who was being treated in the intensive care unit after suffering a stroke, died when he was moved out of the ICU because of the fire.

Hospital director Badarul Mochtar said doctors were unable to resuscitate Syariat after he was evacuated from the ICU.

Another patient, identified as Samson, 10, also died in the fire.

The blaze began at about 3 p.m. and was put out one hour later, but not before it had razed the front part of the hospital, including the director's room and polyclinic consisting of 15 rooms.

A short circuit in the director's room is being blamed for the fire. --Antara