KAJANG, Dec 13 — An elder care facility where five people were killed in a fire this morning was operating illegally, said the local council and the Selangor Welfare Department.

Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ) councillor Lai Wa Chong said a check of its business licence records did not return any entry for the centre.

"By right, they are not allowed to operate without a proper business licence. The absence of a licence would mean the safety of the premise has not have been approved by the fire department.

"We will investigate to find out what sort of action can be taken against the operators,” he said, adding that the local council had been unaware of the centre.

He said MPKJ would have required safety checks prior to issuing a licence, which would have included ensuring the centre was equipped with fire extinguishers.

Separately, a source from the Selangor Welfare Department confirmed that the centre did not obtain the required permit under the Care Centres Act 1993, needed for those caring for four or more non-family members.

A resident told Malay Mail at the scene that the centre only started operations several months ago, using a house that was converted for the purpose.

"The caretakers are all Pakistanis and the house has been here at least 15 years ago,”  Lai Pho Lon, 55, told Malay Mail.

It is now believed that the centre was also owned and operated by Pakistanis.

Police said investigations into the cause of the fire were ongoing.

"We are looking at all possible angles including arson concerning this case. Let us carry out thorough investigations before coming to any conclusion,” Kajang police chief Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yussof said.

Ahmad Dzaffir added that nine people were in the building at the time. Preliminary investigations indicate the fire likely started on the ground floor before spreading upstairs.

He said one of the caretakers had noticed the flames from the ground floor and alerted the rest who were asleep.

"By the time they noticed the fire, it was too big to put out and was blocking their escape path,” he said.

The pre-dawn fire caused the deaths of Leow Chong Fatt, Teo Hoi Foo, Kwan Sak Seen, and Lai Siew Ying, all aged in their 60s and 70s. The caretaker killed was Awis Muhammad, 25, a Pakistani.

All the bodies were taken to Hospital Kajang for post mortem examinations.