BESUT, Aug 4 — Throwing caution to the wind, a gutsy five-year-old boy rescued his younger brother from their house which was consumed by fire in Kampung Kubang Depu near here yesterday morning.

Mohd Syawal Mohd Shukri grabbed his sibling, Mohd Syakir, four, and rushed out of the house when smoke billowed from the kitchen and one of the rooms in the incident about 11.30am.

At the time of the fire, both siblings were playing at the house, while their parents, Mohd Shukri Mohd Nor, 36, and Huslina Abd Rahman, 26, were away at work.

The couple had taken their youngest child, Mohd Syaril, three, along with them to their workplace.

Speaking to reporters, Mohd Syawal, the eldest of three children, said he and his brother had sought shelter at their grandmother’s house nearby.

He said he ran for a distance to alert his father and residents as their house was quite isolated from the rest of the houses in the village.

Meanwhile, Mohd Shukri said he sped towards his house on a motorcycle when he saw smoke billowing from the village.

“Upon arrival, I saw the house almost destroyed by the blaze and tried to enter the premises as I feared for my two children whom we had left there before leaving for work.

“However, I was so relieved to learn from neighbours that they were safe,” he said, estimating the total damage to household goods, Hari Raya preparation and documents at RM28,000.

He said the family was currently left with nothing but the clothes on their back.

Hulu Besut State Assemblyman Nawi Mohamad handed over personal contributions to Mohd Shukri and his family.

He also promised the family alternate accommodation. — Bernama