‘Youth’s heroic act saved city from disaster’

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COMMENDABLE: Chan (seated centre) describing to the press the situation he saw at the substation on Monday evening, while MBKS guest-of-honour Local Government and Community Development Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh (right) listens. Kho is standing behind on the second right.

KUCHING: The quick action of a Jalan Stampin resident in putting out a fire at a Sesco substation on Monday evening had possibly saved the city from a catastrophe.

Kuching South mayor Dato James Chan said he personally witnessed the incident near Lorong Stampin 16 and commended the young man’s swift act.

“I called Sesco and the fire station but Kho (the youth concerned) came rushing out of his house nearby with a fire extinguisher and managed to put out the fire.

“If he had not done that, we cannot imagine what disaster Kuching would be facing in the event that the substation caught fire and exploded,” he told the press at the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Deepavali event yesterday.

He said he was informed by Sesco that the fire was due to a faulty meter.

Meanwhile, when interviewed, the 28-year-old contractor Kho Thong Hseng said he was just doing his duty as a citizen.

“As citizens, we must protect our own safety and security,” he said.

According to Kho, the fire was first noticed by his older brother when the latter was on his way home after work at around 6pm.

“He quickly informed us when he arrived home, so I quickly took our home fire extinguisher and rushed over to the substation.

“The mayor happened to be passing by too, and he had contacted Bomba, which arrived in 10 minutes and Sesco technicians who arrived 15 minutes later.

“Actually, this is the second time the substation caught fire. It happened few years ago during midnight.

“We also went to put out the fire and we used the six fire extinguishers we had at home then,” he recalled.

For his commendable effort, he was presented with a token of appreciation in the form of a hamper as well as a fire extinguisher to replace the one he used.