Fire destroys landmark hotel in Myanmar's largest city

[webfact]

Fire destroys landmark hotel in Myanmar's largest city

 

Police officers stand guard during a fire at Kandawgyi Palace hotel in Yangon, Myanmar October 19, 2017 . REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

YANGON (Reuters) - One person was injured in a massive fire that destroyed one of Yangon's best-known hotels on Thursday, sending clouds of dark smoke billowing over the centre of Myanmar's largest city and triggering an hours-long battle to put out the flames.

 

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which broke out around 3:20 a.m. at the teak-and-stone Kandawgyi Palace Hotel overlooking a picturesque inner-city lake, authorities told Reuters.

 

There were no fatalities and only one Chinese citizen was injured, said Yangon police colonel Myint Htwe.

 

The fire had been mostly extinguished by 7 a.m. and guests have been shifted to nearby hotels.

 

The hotel is owned by Htoo Group, chaired by business tycoon Tay Za, who until last year was on the list of United States sanctions for his close links to Myanmar's former military regime.

 

Myanmar's civilian-led government, helmed by Nobel laureate and former dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, is grappling with the aftermath of a harsh military crackdown that has driven out more than 500,000 of the country's Rohingya Muslim minority.

 

(Reporting by Wa Lone, Thu Thu Aung and Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-19

[Nemesis7]

KARMA. How does it feel when you blaze down innocent civilians houses, villages after villages, rape their women, children and kill them for no bloody reason.

Edited October 19, 2017 by Nemesis7
spelling error

[roundtheworld]

Nemesis. What a nasty and stupid comment. Somebody died in this hotel fire. Two people seriously injured. Could be staff or guests. Karma for whom? You really think those who may have been persecuted in Rakhine whether they be muslin, Hindu or Buddhist would want an innocent person to burn to death? You ask ‘ how does it feel? ‘. For the innocent person who lost a life and those who were injured I’m sure it felt horrific. May your version of karma come to you some day and see how you like how it feels.

[mancub]

1 hour ago, roundtheworld said:

Nemesis. What a nasty and stupid comment. Somebody died in this hotel fire. Two people seriously injured. Could be staff or guests. Karma for whom? You really think those who may have been persecuted in Rakhine whether they be muslin, Hindu or Buddhist would want an innocent person to burn to death? You ask ‘ how does it feel? ‘. For the innocent person who lost a life and those who were injured I’m sure it felt horrific. May your version of karma come to you some day and see how you like how it feels.

To be fair, the report that I believe Nemesis based his comment on states that there were no fatalities.

[Argus Tuft]

28 minutes ago, mancub said:

To be fair, the report that I believe Nemesis based his comment on states that there were no fatalities.

The fatality aside, which is a sad fact - Nemesis' highly emotive rant is misplaced against a fire destroying a historic hotel in the heart of Yangon.

 

Nemesis should direct his rage at a different platform and different story.  This is not the place.

[tryasimight]

5 hours ago, Nemesis7 said:

/KARMA. How does it feel when you blaze down innocent civilians houses, villages after villages, rape their women, children and kill them for no bloody reason.

I don't know.. maybe ask the Muslim why they do this?

 

The Myanmar people are not happy I can assure you,

 

 

Edited October 19, 2017 by tryasimight

[craigt3365]

11 hours ago, Nemesis7 said:

KARMA. How does it feel when you blaze down innocent civilians houses, villages after villages, rape their women, children and kill them for no bloody reason.

The hotel is owned by somebody with very close ties to the military.  Typical in Myanmar as that's how you get rich.  One person did die.  Probably an innocent guest.  Such a lovely hotel.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41677036

[Lupatria]

I knew this hotel quite well. The upper floors were made of teak wood the fire broke out at the 5th floor. There was no alarm system, I haven't seen a single fire extinguisher on any floor, neither the water hose facilities used in other hotels.

According to other news a Chinese guest died and some were injured including a firefighter.