JERTIH, Aug 5 — Five terraced houses at the Low-Cost Public Housing (RAKR) area in Seberang Jerteh here were damaged, while a man was injured, in a fire that broke out this morning.
Jertih Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) Chief Mustafa Ismail said his team received an emergency call at 10.28am and arrived at the location at 11.44am, before successfully controlling the fire about 30 minutes later.
“The fire involved five permanent residential houses, with one house completely destroyed and another almost completely destroyed, while the other three suffered damages ranging between 5 and 50 per cent,” he said.
“A total of 14 firefighters and personnel along with two fire engines from the Jertih and Besut fire stations were involved in the firefighting operation, which utilised water from a nearby fire hydrant. The cause of the fire and the actual amount of losses are still under investigation,” he told reporters at the scene today.
Meanwhile, the victim injured in the incident, Muhammad Rais Rosli, 34, expressed his dismay and sadness over losing RM25,000 in cash that he had saved for a long time, as well as his children’s duit raya (festive money) totaling RM5,000 that had been collected over the past two years.
The furniture store worker suffered burns on his left hand while trying to rescue belongings from his rented house after realising that the fire was beginning to spread.
“No one was at home during the incident because all my children were at school, while I was at work and my wife (Nur Khairunnisa Muhammad Amar, 40) had taken our sick pet cat to a veterinary clinic.
“I was informed about the incident through a phone call from my mother-in-law. After that, I rushed home and tried to extinguish the fire and save our belongings, but my left hand got burned while lifting a hot gas cylinder.
“Not many items could be saved other than a television and a fan, while clothes, the children’s school books, and other things were completely burnt. Now, our family is left with only the clothes on our backs,” he said. — Bernama
