A rash of fires during CNY

Police: 89-year-old paralysed man in Perak the lone casualty

IPOH: There were several fire incidents in the country during the festive period, with one killing an 89-year-old paralysed octogenarian in Ayer Tawar, Perak.

Manjung OCPD Asst Comm Mohamed Nordin Abdullah said the fire broke out at a double-storey shoplot at Kampung Baru, adding that police were informed at 11.49pm on Sunday.

“Firemen with the assistance of volunteer firefighters and Tenaga Nasional managed to douse the flames by 12.30am. The charred remains of a man, said to be the father of the shopowner, was found,” he added.

He urged the public to take extra precautions to look after their safety, especially during the festive season.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Sayani Saidon said the fire involved two shoplots operated by sundry goods wholesalers.

She said a car was also destroyed in the fire.

Fireman standing outside the shoplot razed by fire in Ayer Tawar, Perak.

“The remains of the victim was found near the door of one of the rooms at the first shoplot at 3.35am,” she said, adding that the deceased was identified as Loo Leng Wion.

In Petaling Jaya, six children were rescued when a sofa in their apartment unit in Damansara Damai caught fire.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar said firemen from the Sungai Buloh fire station rushed to the scene after a distress call at 11.15am yesterday.

“The firemen managed to put out the fire and rescue the six children,” he said, adding that the four girls, aged two, three, four and 11, twin boys aged five, were unhurt.

Ahmad Mukhlis said the parents were not home during the incident.

“They were in hospital as the father was seeking treatment for a heart problem,” he added in a statement.

Damaging blaze: Fire raging at Block 70 of the Sri Sabah flats in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

In an incident in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, a fire broke out at at Block 70 of the Sri Sabah flats on Sunday night.

Loo Choon Ming, 39, who lives on the 17th floor, said he did not realise that the smoke he saw was from a neighbouring unit.

“I was watching TV with my mother after celebrating Chinese New Year when there was a strong smell of smoke but in the beginning I just ignored it, thinking it was from fireworks. However, when I started choking, I decided to go out and check. I saw my neighbour’s unit on fire,” Bernama quoted him as telling reporters.

“Other residents and I tried to douse the fire but after trying for about 20 minutes, we realised it was futile and we quickly ran into my unit to rescue my mother. But I could not save my belongings,” he lamented.

Loo said it was most disappointing that the fire hydrants located on each floor were not functioning. There were more explosions soon after, probably due to gas cylinders,” he said.

In George Town, an elderly woman suffered burns on her hands after the kitchen in her condominium unit in Jalan Midland caught fire on Sunday.

A Penang Fire and Rescue Department operations centre spokesman said it received a distress call at 8.40am.

“The 79-year-old woman was sent to Hospital Penang. The fire was put out at about half an hour later,” he said.