"Some 17 people (are treated) at Siloam Hospital, while some others are at public health centres (puskesmas) around the mall. The current number (of injured individuals) stands at 32," Pomanto stated while visiting the mall here on Monday (April 24) evening.
A victim, who lost consciousness due to shortness of breath in the fire, recovered and has since been allowed to leave the hospital, he added.
The mayor said that the firefighting team continues to work on extinguishing the flames and conducting cooling operations on the building, adding that a blower is being used to extract fumes from the mall.
"At present, we found no other victims while sweeping the mall interior. As we can see from the (fire) video, the visibility is severely restricted. Oxygen masks are used by the sweeping team because we could not enter the mall without any aid yet," Pomanto remarked.
Meanwhile, Makassar Health Office Head Nursaidah Sirajuddin stated that health officers from local health centres, including Mamajang and Mangasa puskesmas, have been mobilized to help the victims.
Hospitals in the city have also been instructed to remain on standby to receive the fire victims, the official added.
"We have also coordinated with the province's Health Office, as per the mayor's instruction, to open all hospitals. Thus, no fire victims will be rejected," she said.
Moreover, President Director of Trans Kalla Makassar Max Kambuan stated that a short circuit at a photo installation inside the mall is suspected to be the source of the fire.
"The fire is caused by a short circuit at a photo booth made out of papers, particularly as we made an Eiffel Tower replica adorned with lights for selfies. Circulating videos of the fire showed the lamp heat producing smoke, causing it to burn," Kambuan explained.
The president director clarified that the shopping mall's fire prevention system is active, adding that the mall operator will be responsible for the victims' treatment and recovery.
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Translator: M Darwin Fatir, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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