FIRE SAFETY IN HERITAGE BUILDINGS

The 600-year-old castle was the seat of Kings for more than 400 years (Picture: Shutterstock) Large parts of Shuri Castle, a symbol of Okinawa Prefecture and popular tourist attraction in the city of Naha, were destroyed in a fire early Thursday morning, authorities said. The cause of the blaze remains unknown. There were no reports of injuries, police and fire officials said, but about 30 nearby residents were temporarily evacuated. The fire had been completely extinguished by around 1:30 p.m., an official at the fire department in Naha said. About 4,800 square meters of the facility were destroyed by the blaze, including the main, north and south buildings. The main building was made from wood, while the north and south buildings also incorporated steel. No sprinklers had been installed, the fire department said. “All the (three) main buildings have burned down, and nothing remains,” said Daisuke Furugen, an official with the Naha Fire Department. Efforts t

A total of 33 ‘rumah kongsi’, 19 shop lots, and a public library were destroyed in a fire in Sungai Lembing town near here. Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director Nor Hisham Mohamad said the incident occurred at 1.30am today and the department is still doing a follow-up at the location as it was reported that there are two victims who are trapped in the fire. “Our operation centre received a call at 1.52am and the first engine arrived 20 minutes later. A total of five engines from Kuantan, Taman Tas, Indera Mahkota and Gebeng stations joined the operation to put out the fire. “A total of 54 personnel were on duties and we were also joined by Sungai Lembing town volunteer firefighters, the police and the public,” said Nor Hisham. The fire was contained at 3.55am and the firefighters are still investigating the area after receiving reports from residents about a married couple believed to be trapped in their home. The state Fire and Rescue Department Forensic Unit is

Source: SkyNews Source: VOX