YANGON, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar authorities are urgently investigating the cause of Thursday's huge fire that devastated a lakeside hotel in Yangon run by the Htoo Group of Companies, said U Htay Lwin, the company's managing director.
The fire started from the fifth floor of the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel but it was not triggered by explosion which occurred later, U Htay Lwin told a press conference here shortly after the fire was put under control.
One foreign guest was killed and two others, a firefighter and a woman from China's Macao injured in the tragedy, he confirmed.
A total of 141 guests including foreigners were staying in 96 rooms in the hotel, he said, adding that as the fire broke out, guests were being evacuated. However, one guest was found missing.
The fire, which almost totally burned down the hotel building, started at about 03:00 a.m. local time and was brought under control by about 300 firefighters after nearly four hours' fight.
The hotel was insured with a total of 1.3 billion kyats (about 955,800 U.S. dollars) with two insurance companies, U Htay Lwin disclosed.
The historic Kandawgyi Palace Hotel was built in 1979 featuring 10 teak bungalows and it was extended in 1993.
