austraLasia #2418

Fire destroys part of community residence at Amgalan in Mongolia

AMGALAN: 18th May 2009 -- With all the talk of 'rekindling the fire' that is common parlance during the 150th celebrations, there have been some 'rekindlings' that the Salesians could have done without!  Last week we had to report a fire which destroyed two communications studios in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.  This time it is a fire which has destroyed the Salesian residence at Amgalan near Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
    Bro Arnold, who has described some elements of the fire which took place, it seems, at night time, lost his own room but a number of other rooms and their contents - and their occupants, one hastens to add! - were saved.  In fact there were no injuries or loss of life, once more something to be most grateful to the Good Lord for.
    The Dominic Savio Community looks after street children from the city.  It was one of these children who first noticed the flames coming from the boiler room.  The three Salesians working with the children, and the 25 children in residence tried to tackle the flames but it was beyond them, so they set about saving documents and other important property items.  The Fire Brigade arrived shortly afterwards.
    The community room, kitchen, toilet, bathroom, and Bro Arnold's room were destroyed.  The volunteers' office was badly damaged.  Other rooms were saved.
    In the meantime the volunteers' office has been somewhat repaired and now serves as a community area and kitchen!  Since the fire started in the boiler room it means that the heating system was destroyed, along with the water pipes.  Mongolia's climate currently means that while it can be warm in the early part of the day this time of the year (one notes that as of writing the temperature in UB is 22 degrees centigrade), it gets very cold later in the day and evening.

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Title: australasia 2418
Subject and key words: EAo Provinces VIE/Mongolia Fire at Amgalan
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2418