AUSTIN, TexasThe thoughts and concerns of The University of Texas at Austin community today are with the families and friends of the two students who were injured, one of them fatally, during a fire at their residence at the University Towers, a privately owned residential hall about four blocks west of the University.
Several campus agencies that report to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs have offered immediate assistance in wake of this tragedy. The Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center and the Division of Housing and Food Services will provide assistance and make facilities available to University students who are residents of this complex.
Students at UT Austin are encouraged to contact the Counseling and Mental Health Center if they feel they need support at this time. The telephone number for the center is 471-3515. The counseling center also provides a 24-hour telephone counseling service that can be reached by dialing 471-2255.
Several staff members from the counseling center were at the fire scene early this morning meeting with residents. An open forum is scheduled at the residence building tonight to provide additional support and counseling.
I have been informed that Zawardy Ab Latiff was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio for treatment, and that Brackenridge Hospital Social Services has contacted his father in Malaysia. This student is a sophomore in the College of Engineering.
The Office of the Travis County Medical Examiner has notified the next of kin of the deceased student, Anoor Hajee, a freshman in the College of Business whose family lives in Dallas.
