BALIK PULAU – A woman and her two children died while another survived a blaze at a two-storey shophouse in Jalan Balik Pulau, here today.
Barat Daya police chief Kamarul Rizal Jenal said police rushed to the scene upon receiving a report on the fire at a shophouse near a bank at 7.02am.
He said a woman, 58, her son, 33, and daughter, 20, were killed.
“Based on an initial interview with a survivor, the woman’s 30-year-old son said that he, his mother and brother managed to get out of the shop once they realised there was a fire.
“However, her mother and brother, who realised that their sister was caught in the fire, went back into the shop to save the victim, but the three of them were trapped in the premises,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Kamarul Rizal said firefighters found the bodies after extinguishing the flame.
They were sent to Balik Pulau Hospital for an autopsy.
Meanwhile, Seri Balik Pulau Fire and Rescue station chief Mohd Faris Mansor said the station received the call at 7.06am and proceeded to the location with two fire engines, with the assistance of a team from Balik Pulau station.
“Upon arrival, we found that the fire was raging and there were three victims trapped inside. The extinguishing operation involved three water tank machines to control the fire,” he said here.
He said the fire caused thick smoke because it involved furniture such as carpets and mattresses.
“After putting out the fire, we found the bodies of two victims on the ground floor while the other one was on the top floor,” he said. – Ma