KOTA BHARU, March 21 — No words could capture the heartbreak felt by housewife Rozmawani Abdullah after nearly 80 per cent of her home was destroyed in a fire at Lorong Rela, Kampung Bunut Payong, here this morning.

Besides Rozmawani’s house, the fire, which broke out at about 8.30 am, also destroyed two other nearby homes.

The 42-year-old woman said that as soon as she realised what was happening, she rushed to get her two children out of the house and ran to a neighbour’s home to save themselves.

“I immediately ran out of the house with my two children — Muhammad Ammar Darwisy Mohd Fadzli, 11, who is a disabled child, and Afiyah Hanan, eight — and we sought safety at a neighbour’s house.

“I didn’t have time to take my husband Mohd Fadzli Ab Rashid’s documents. The only thing I managed to save was our Raya clothes bag, which happened to be in the living room,” she said when contacted by Bernama today.

Recounting the incident further, Rozmawani said that at the time of the fire, her husband and her eldest son, Muhammad Zafran Zarif, 14, had gone to Masjid Bunut Payong to perform the Aidilfitri prayers.

“Thankfully, our neighbour’s son, Muhammad Fitri Mat Nawi, 28, came to help us. He told us the fire started from the neighbouring house, which belongs to a retired civil servant. They were not at home at the time because they had gone to the mosque for the Aidilfitri prayers.

“It is very painful for us because this hardship happened to our family at a time when everyone else is celebrating 1st day of Syawal with joy, but for us, it turned into sorrow when our home was destroyed by fire,” she said, adding that she would spend Aidilfitri at her mother’s house in Kampung Tiong, near here.

Meanwhile, Kota Darulnaim Fire and Rescue Station’s operations commander, Mohd Amin Mohd Kari, said his team received an emergency call at 8.27 a,m prompting 22 firefighters to rush to the scene.

“The fire involved three double-storey terrace houses measuring about 18 feet in width each. Two of the houses were completely destroyed, while another suffered about 80 per cent damage. No casualties were reported.

“The situation was brought under control at 9.44 am, and investigations are still ongoing to determine the cause of the fire and the total losses,” he said. — Bernama