Campbell Shopping Complex fire

The Campbell Shopping Complex fire was a major disaster in Malaysia which took place on 8 April 1976 at Jalan Campbell (now Jalan Dang Wangi), Kuala Lumpur. The entire shopping complex including its 20-storey office tower block was completely destroyed in a fire.[1] It was Malaysia's first towering inferno and its worst fire disaster involving a high-rise building to date.[2] The fire, which started at 10:30 pm, lasted for nearly 30 hours, claiming the life of one victim, Yap Leong Hoe, 59,[3] as well as the total losses of RM50 million. The cause of the fire was an electrical short circuit.[2] Ultimately, 156 shops and 41 offices were destroyed.[1]

The building burnt for nearly 30 hours and did not collapse entirely, although one section of the podium collapsed due to the intense heat.

History

The Campbell Shopping Complex itself was opened in May 1973,[3] which was at that time Kuala Lumpur's first high-rise shopping complex.[4] It was kept under repair and reconstructed at a cost of RM10 million[1] for a few years after the blaze before it was reopened to the public around 1979.

Interesting facts
  • The incident occurred at a time when the Hollywood blockbuster movie The Towering Inferno was still fresh in the minds of many Malaysians.[1]
  • The Fire Protection Association of Malaysia (FPAM) was formed the same year after the incident occurred.
  • The incident also highlighted the standards of fire safety in high-rise buildings in the country as well as the limited fire-fighting capabilities at that time. Laws were eventually passed to ensure that high-rise premises must meet certain standards of fire safety, e.g., the issuing of certificates before they can be deemed fit for dwelling or commercial purposes.[4]
  • There was even a proposal to have the tower block of the complex demolished shortly after the fire because it was initially thought that the intense heat from the blaze might have weakened the reinforced concrete structure of the building thus posing a hazard. However, this was averted after examinations done by competent engineers proved otherwise.[4]
  • According to some eyewitnesses, the blaze was visible from as far as Petaling Jaya in Selangor.
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References
  1. Fatt, Lam Seng (2011). Insider's Kuala Lumpur (3rd Edn): Is No Ordinary Travel Guide. Open Your Eyes to the Soul of the City (Not Just the Twin Towers...). Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd. p. 50. ISBN 9814435392.
  2. "Chronicle of Malaysia: Fifty Years of Headline News, 1963-2013". Editions Didier Millet. 2014. p. 123.
  3. "KL's $50 million towering inferno..." The Straits Times. April 9, 1976. p. 1.
  4. "Datuk Lim's $50 mil headache..." New Nation. April 15, 1976. p. 3.


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