This is tragic. The Andaman is a Marriott Luxury Collection Resort in Langkawi, Malaysia. The hotel has sustained extensive damage after two major fires.
The Andaman Langkawi catches fire… twice
The Andaman has dealt with two fires in the past day. Malay Mail reports that the first fire started shortly after 4PM on Tuesday afternoon. About 40 firefighters were called to the scene, and by 10PM the fire was brought under control.
However, shortly after 1AM firefighters received another call for the same hotel, and had to rush there again. That fire wasn’t put out until daytime on Wednesday (today).
At this point reports suggest that:
- The fire started in the kitchen of the hotel, though an investigation is ongoing; one certainly has to wonder if the first fire wasn’t actually controlled, or how there were two back-to-back fires
- It’s believed that everyone was evacuated from the hotel safely, though there are concerns about the fires having damaged the nearby rainforest, given the location of the property
The hotel issued the following statement following the fire:
We can confirm that a fire broke out at The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort, Langkawi on Tuesday, 12 January 2021. As soon as we were aware of the incident, we informed the authorities and moved swiftly to evacuate the hotel.
As an additional safety precaution, all guests have been relocated to our sister property while investigations are ongoing. Our utmost priority is to ensure the safety of our guests and associates.
We are working closely and in cooperation with the fire department to determine the cause of the fire. As this matter is under investigation, we are unable to provide further information.
Will The Andaman Langkawi reopen?
This fire just happened, so we don’t know for sure if/when the property will reopen, given that damage is being assessed. One thing is for sure — the damage to the hotel is really extensive, and this hotel won’t be reopening anytime soon. The hotel has closed reservations, so there are no rooms available even when booking a year out.
Below you can see a video.
Andaman di Langkawi sedang terbakar. Nasib baik dapat gerak guests ke Datai. Ada yg cakap ada politician PH di sana. Hopefully dia ok. pic.twitter.com/QvrnOcl9il
— Sembang Tepi (@sembang_tepi) January 13, 2021
For context, below is what the building looked like before the fire.
It’s my understanding that only one “block” of the hotel burned, so perhaps that’s a silver lining. However, this is also the block with some of the public facilities, so it’s the hardest to operate without.
If The Andaman does reopen, I think it’s safe to say that it will be a while before that happens.
Bottom line
The Andaman Langkawi has suffered significant damage after two fires in the past 24 hours. An investigation is ongoing, but it’s believed that at least the first fire originated in the kitchen.
Fortunately it’s believed that no one was seriously injured, though this is still tragic. Only time will tell if the property reopens.
Has anyone stayed at The Andaman?
(Tip of the hat to Jocelyn)
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