TAIPING: The proprietor of a shop selling furniture, carpet and electrical appliances suffered more than RM1 million in losses when the premise was burnt down in a fire that also razed 20 other shop units in Taman Kuning Permai, Jalan Air Kuning, here today.
Riad Mohd Ali, 49, said the fire was first realised at 9am by several of his workers who lived on the top most floor of the three-storey shoplot.
They tried their best to put out the blaze, but failed after the flames spread rapidly.
“My workers said there was an explosion, causing the fire to spread quickly which forced them to call the Fire and Rescue Department,“ he told Bernama, here today.
Riad said he had been trading from the shop unit for the past 10 years.
Meanwhile, Taiping Fire and Rescue Operations Chief Rafeel Hairul Richard said his men rushed to the scene as soon as they received the distress call at 9.02am.
“Upon reaching the scene of the fire, my men found that the flames were spreading quickly from one shop to the other,“ he said.
The blaze was brought under control within an hour, but not before firemen had to break down the walls of a shoplot used for bird’s nest farming, to assist the process.
Two engines from the Kamunting and Taiping fire stations, and a water tanker were used to put out the fire while an Emergency Medical Response Service (EMRS) van was also there on standby.
His men were also assisted by four volunteer fire-fighting squads from Kuala Kurau, Kuala Gula, Parit Buntar and Bagan Serai.
They were no casualties and the cause of the fire is still being investigated. — Bernama
