TUMPAT, Dec 22 — Two houses were gutted in a fire believed to have been caused by a mentally ill woman who burned rubbish inside the home, in Kampung Nechang here, today
The victim, Che Romoh Adam, 68, said she suspected the woman who is her niece, living next door and who has been mentally ill for the past 30 years, as she has set fire three times inside the house.
“Before this, the fire incidents were small and were easily noticed but this time it burned my house down,” she said when met by reporters at the scene.
She added that during the incident, she was playing with her grandchildren who live in the house before hearing the screams of her second child, Siti Fatimah Ramli, 35.
“We immediately rushed out of the house when we saw the fire in the living room and shouted for help from neighbours. I couldn’t save anything because the fire spread quickly,” she said.
Che Romoh said their family of six were left with the clothes on their back because they could not save anything except a car and a motorcycle, and her eldest son, Mohd Zaini Ramli, 38, also suffered burns on his head while trying to save the motorcycle belonging to his younger sibling.
Meanwhile, Pengkalan Kubor Fire and Rescue Station chief Raja Arisansahseni Raja Ismail said they received an emergency call at about 8.59 am before two fire-engines from the Tumpat and Pengkalan Kubor Fire and Rescue Stations arrived at the scene about 15 minutes later.
“Upon arrival, we found two semi permanent single-storey houses on fire and nearly 80 per cent destroyed. Two families living in the residence managed to save themselves,” he said.
The fire was brought under control at about 9.23 am and completely extinguished about half an hour later, he said, adding that the cause and the amount of loss incurred in the fire was still under investigation. — Bernama
