Elderly evacuated from fire at St Vincent de Paul

Four elderly residents were evacuated from a ward at St Vincent de Paul Residence in Luqa after an air conditioning unit caught fire.

However, the flames, in Loreto Ward, were put out by civil protection firemen soon after the alarm was raised and no one was injured.

The incident occurred at about 10.30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly and Community Care Mario Galea was at the scene, together with the home's managers, and remained there until early yesterday morning to assess the situation.

Meanwhile, a washing machine caught fire in a house in Francesco Buhagiar Street, Birkirkara yesterday morning at about 10.45.

Neighbours gathered in the street as white smoke rose from the house. But no one was inside at the time and the situation was brought under control within minutes of firemen arriving.

When the owner of the house, a woman, turned up at the scene she was hospitalised for shock. Her cat was missing and it is not known whether it was eventually found.

kbugeja@timesofmalta.com