From: ba2545816@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg
Subject: News on Subang Airport, Malaysia
Organization: Nanyang Technological University - Singapore
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 04:45:43 GMT

Hi everyone!  Here's a news article extracted from The Straits Times on
November 19, 1992.


	Subang Staff `Negligent, Failed To Fight April Fire'

Kuala Lumpur - 
An inquiry committee which investigated the fire in April at Subang Airport has
concluded that Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) staff were negligent in
failing to control the blaze.

In a report issued yesterday, the committee said that DCA staff took a `rest'
or `fell asleep' asa no flights were expected to land or take off on the
morning of the fire.

Three DCA security guards died and a row of 29 duty-free shops were gutted in
the early morning fire on the south wing of Terminal One on April 6.  Losses
were estimated at M$20 million.

The committee's report, which was presented to the Cabinet last week, confirmed
that the blaze was caused by an electrical fault in one of the duty-free shops.

In the two-volume report released by the Transport Ministry, the Electricity
Supply Department said that the wiring system at the airport did not comply
fully with official regulations.

The committee said that failure to put out the fire was due to negligence of
DCA officers and staff and five other factors - the malfunctioning of the fire
prevention equipment like water sprinklers, the poor condition of the fire
alarm control panel, the non-use of hose reels, glass-covered alarms not being
activated and failure to monitor the closed-circuit television system.

The report said, "During the fire, it is believed no DCA officer or member of
the public took the initiative to break the glass and activate the alarm."

It said that negligence was clearly evident from the absence of a DCA fire
officer to order the breaking down of glass walls to rescue the three guards
killed in the fire.

The committee also found that staff were slow in detecting the fire because
they had attended a Hari Raya gathering that day.

The report said, "Officers on duty were too relaxed after the last flight. 
Furthermore, the Hari Raya gathering lasted till 1.45am and they took a rest at
their respective stations and were believed to have fallen asleep.

It added that the three guards who died were believed to have taken a rest or
might have fallen asleep when the fire broke out `as normally where there is no
flight, officers on duty took a rest'.

The committee also found that the alarm system and the fire-prevention systems
at the airport like smoke detectors and sprinklers were not checked thoroughly
and that was one of 12 `management' factors which led to failure in detecting
and controlling the fire.

The committee, headed by former Transport Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Dr
Mohamad Nor Abdul Ghani, recommended 10 measures to prevent similar accidents
in future.

Among other things, the committee, made up of representatives from various
government departments, recommended that all fire-prevention systems at the
airport be reviewed and more sophisticated equipment installed.

It also called for a clear division of duties between the Fire Service Division
of the DCA and the Fire Service Department.

It said, "The post of DCA Security Unit head and airport general manager should
not be held by the same person as was the case before the fire to ensure more
effective management and supervision."

The committee recommended that disciplinary action be taken against officers
negligent on the night of the fire `to serve as a lesson and warning to
others.'

The report said that the committee's views were based on corroborative
statements as the fire destroyed evidence which would have given a clearer
picture of what happened.

Twenty-nine witnesses, including former DCA director-general and the
shopowners, were called to testify during the investigation.  ---Bernama