BUTTERWORTH, Jan 1 — A fire destroyed six three-storey shoplot units housing a private college on Jalan Perai Jaya here yesterday.

Penang Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations John Sagun Francis said the department received an emergency call at 5.10pm, and a fire engine from the Perai Fire and Rescue Station was immediately dispatched to the scene.

“The fire involved six three-storey shoplot units, each with an estimated floor area of 93 square metres (1,000 square feet). It started on the ground floor, which had been reconfigured from six units into one unit, before spreading to other levels. The fire was brought under control at 6.34pm,” he said in a statement last night.

He said as of 10pm, over 50 firefighters from the Bandar Perda, Penanti and Sungai Bakap Fire and Rescue Stations, assisted by volunteer fire brigades, were still carrying out extinguishing works. The cause of the fire and the total losses are still under investigation. — Bernama