More than 1,000 employees of SWM Environment Sdn Bhd were gripped by panic after a fire broke out at a hotel ballroom in Bukit Katil during a company dinner on Tuesday night.
The blaze is believed to have started at around 8pm, shortly after the company’s general manager concluded his speech. The dinner was held as a staff appreciation event.
All attendees managed to evacuate the ballroom safely before the fire spread further. No fatalities were reported, although one individual is believed to have suffered minor injuries.
Melaka Fire and Rescue Department public relations officer Deputy Fire Superintendent II Mohd Hafidzatullah Rashid said the department received an emergency call at 8.14pm.
“A fire engine from the Bukit Katil Fire and Rescue Station was immediately dispatched to the scene upon receiving the report,” he said.
Firefighters successfully evacuated everyone inside the hall and carried out firefighting operations to contain the blaze. Further investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
