KUCHING: Sundry shop operator Thian Jun Hong was on his way home after a long day’s work when he was forced to turn back after learning that his wooden premises had caught fire on Monday night.
NOTHING LEFT: Firemen inspect the charred remnants of Thian’s sundry shop.
The middle-aged Thian, who had been operating in a shack by the side of the road near the Kota Sentosa traffic light intersection for the past two years, told reporters that the fire started only about five minutes after he had closed for the day.
“I had just left around 8.45pm and was on my way to my house at Jalan Stakan not far away when a friend called me and said my shop was on fire,” he said stoically when met after the incident.
Despite rushing back, Thian said he was unable to do anything except watch as the fire engulfed his shop and gutted it in a matter of minutes.
He estimated his loss at over RM6,000, which included a motorcycle parked inside the premises.
A fire engine from the Batu Lintang station arrived at the scene at 9.01pm after a distress call was received at 8.51pm and put out the blaze in a matter of minutes.
No injuries were reported in the incident, of which the cause is being investigated by the Fire Department.