RAZED TO THE GROUND: Firemen inspect the razed house to make sure the fire has been extinguished.
KUCHING: An elderly couple lost all their belongings when their wooden house at Kampung Haji Baki was reduced to ashes following a fire yesterday.
The incident occurred mid-afternoon when house owner Munir Bujang, 73, was resting inside while his wife Zalehah Abdullah, 65, was clearing the compound.
Relating the incident, the couple’s son Ahmad said he was visiting his younger sister’s house not far away when he saw smoke billowing from the roof of his parents’ house.
“I hurried back and saw the roof and a section of the wall had caught fire. I saw my mother outside and told her about it before rushing in to carry my father out,” said the 44-year-old, adding his father had recently suffered a stroke.
Earlier in the morning, Ahmad said he had brought his father to a clinic in Kota Sentosa for a medical checkup.
“I had thought of going back to my house in Matang after that but decided to drop by my sister’s house to spend some time with her,” he said.
Nothing could be salvaged from the burning house as the flames rapidly consumed the entire structure and reduced the house to ashes within several minutes.
Firemen from the Batu Lintang station rushed to the scene after receiving a distress call, but could not do much except to extinguish the smoldering remnants of the house.
Munir, who estimated his losses at RM70,000, said he and Zalehah will be staying with their daughter for the time being.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Fire Department.