20140404 Malaysia Seven Families Lose Homes In Early Morning Fire
Malaysia Apr 07 2014 “Houses”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Seven Families Lose Homes In Early Morning Fire
Updated: 2014-04-04-12:00
ALOR SETAR, April 4 (Bernama) — Seven families were left with only the clothes on their backs after their homes were destroyed in a fire in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, here, early Friday.
In the fire at about 12.45am, believed to have been caused by a short circuit, 10 squatter houses were destroyed.
Lim Chu Lai, 61, said when the incident happened he and his wife, Buntoem Lim, 53, and four other family members were asleep, before being awakened by a neighbour knocking loudly on the door and telling them their house was on fire.
The food trader said he panicked upon seeing the fire and woke up his wife, brother, his two sons and a daughter aged between 18 and 30, and a daughter- in-law just in time to save themselves.
“We were unable to save our belongings. I had kept RM10,000 under the mattress and that money is also gone,” he told reporters when met at the scene, here.
Lim said he suffered losses of about RM20,000 but was, however, grateful that all his family members and his neighbours were safe in the early morning fire.
“Right now our families have no place to stay and we hope there are people e willing to lend a helping hand,” he said.
Bangladeshi Md Joy, 30, who rented one of the houses, said his plan to return to his country next month was dashed when his savings of RM3,500 as well as other items such as a mobile phone and a television set which he had bought to take back home were destroyed in the fire.
Meanwhile, Kedah Fire and Rescue Department operations officer, Mustafa Kamal Ahmad, when contacted, said they received a distress call at about 12.51am and arrived at the scene shortly in five fire-engines with 15 firemen.
He said the fire was brought under control at 12.59am. The cause of the fire and losses incurred were being investigated.
— BERNAMA
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