GEORGE TOWN: Four family members of Tanjong MCA Youth chief Lim Swee Bok perished in a fire at their house in Pangkalan Weld here yesterday.
The victims in the 6am incident have been identified as Lim’s wife, Chen Yen, 35, their son, Yin Chun, 9, and daughter, Jia Yiin, 8, and his mother Lau Sai Poh, 62.
Lim was not at home when fire razed the double storey cluster house at Pintasan Cecil 5. When he arrived, firefighters were still dousing the blaze. He could not control his emotions and had to be comforted by neighbours.
He declined to answer reporters when met at the Penang Hospital forensic department grounds here.
Northeast District police chief ACP Anuar Omar said the whole house was secured with iron grills which prevented the victims from escaping.
“The remains of Lim’s wife, daughter and mother were found in the living room on the ground floor at 7.10am. They were believed to have tried to get out. The boy’s body was found on the upper floor, 50 minutes after that,” he said here today.
Lebuh Pantai Fire Station chief Mohd Rozairi Abdul Rahim said firefighters were at the scene following a distress call at 6.08am and managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to the next house in about 20 minutes and fully brought it under control by 7.10am.
“The victims were believed to have failed to escape because the fire was already blazing and there was only one door for entry and exit,” he said, adding, the cause was still being investigated.
Meanwhile, the family’s neighbour, Goay Cheng Hong, 38, said when met at the scene that he tried to help by shouting for them to get out of the house immediately.
“I awakened and noticed thick smoke..we quickly got out of the house and saw that Swee Bok’s house was on fire.
“My brother and I tried to enter the house to help while shouting for them to get out. But the fire was already blazing at the time so we could not get in,” he said, adding, he then called the Fire Department. — Bernama