RAUB – “Some villagers said they heard a woman crying for help, but they could not do anything because the flames were already raging.”
That was the account shared by Kampung Pamah Kulat village head Mohd Amin Nupah, 61, who was among the first to arrive at the scene of the fire that claimed the lives of five family members early Thursday morning.
He said by the time he reached the house, no voices could be heard, only the sound of flames engulfing the structure.
Amin said he learned of the incident at about 3.30am after receiving a call from villagers.
“When I arrived, the fire was already intense. Those who got there earlier were unable to help because the flames had spread rapidly.
“One of the villagers, who is a police officer, then contacted the Fire and Rescue Department for assistance.
“We were shocked when, after the fire was put out, firefighters informed us they had found the bodies of the family members - three in the bathroom and two outside the house,” he said when met at the scene.
He added that the family had been renting the house for many years.
“He was involved in the fruit trade and villagers would sell their produce such as durians and other fruits to him during the season,” he said.
Meanwhile, a relative of the homeowner, Norizan Kamaluddin, 59, said the family had been renting the house for more than a decade.
She said the victims had previously helped her mother, who lived in the adjacent house.
“After my mother passed away, they continued renting the house, and we had met several times before this,” said the retired civil servant.
Norizan and her husband, Azahari Sulung, 61, who live elsewhere, said the tragic incident occurred while they happened to be back in the village.
“We were shocked when neighbours told us that my late mother’s house was on fire, and even more shocked to learn that the five family members living there had perished,” she said.