A man has been charged with negligence leading to the outbreak of a fire at the Gamone Pwint shopping centre on Kabar Aye Pagoda Road in Yangon’s Mayangone township. Nearly 300 firefighters and 64 fire engines were called to the scene in the early hours of February 19 after a member of a party of Chinese residents in the complex set off firecrackers to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Firefighters help a man from the Gamone Pwint shopping centre on February 19. (Zarni Phyo/The Myanmar Times)
A fashion shop and ceilings in the first and second floor of the centre sustained fire and smoke damage, causing losses estimated at K9.5 million.
Ko Han Zaw Shein, senior supervisor of the complex, reported the fire to police at about 5:30am.
He reported hearing firecrackers from the third floor at about 9:15pm. On going there with the centre’s electrician, Naing Naing Latt, Ko Han Zaw Shein said he saw a 45-year-old Chinese man, who lived in a third-floor apartment with three other Chinese, setting off fireworks to celebrate the New Year.
Using an extinguisher, he put out a fire in a drainpipe leading inside the shopping centre, but later discovered that fire had also broken out on the first floor, and called the fire service.
Translation by Thiri Min Htun
From-Myanmar Time
