Fire Checks Stepped Up After Eighth Victim Dies

The fire chief says teams will check some 2,500 old buildings by the end of the year after the SAR's deadliest fire since 2011, as it emerged that a teenager had become the eighth casualty of the blaze in Jordan.

The death of the 18-year-old woman was announced in the early hours of Saturday. Three people remain in critical condition in hospital after the fire at a 69-year-old tenement block.

Speaking on a radio programme on Saturday, Director of Fire Services Joseph Leung said initial investigations showed that the fire, which is thought to have started from lit candles, took hold close to the door of the unit, leaving those inside unable to escape.

He said modern furniture often released toxic substances when burned and there was also extreme heat at the scene. He said people suffering smoke inhalation could quickly lose consciousness.

A team of Fire Services Department and Buildings Department staff will, on Monday, begin checks on some 2,500 buildings dating back 60 years or more, with the intention of concluding them by the end of the year.

"We have set priorities. We and the Buildings Department will inspect composite buildings first: that is those buildings with commercial parts as well as domestic parts," Leung said.

If escape routes are blocked or doors to the roof are locked, the owners will face prosecution. In less severe cases, they'll be issued with a notice of improvement.

Police are investigating whether the unit at the centre of the fire in Jordan was being used as a Nepalese restaurant without a licence.

Sunday's fire is thought to have started when a family was gathered to celebrate a birthday and the Hindu festival of light, or Diwali.