Terengganu fish cracker shop destroyed in RM500,000 early morning fire

KUALA TERENGGANU - A keropok (fish cracker) trader in Kampung Losong Su here suffered losses estimated at RM500,000 after his premises were destroyed in an early morning fire today.

Shop owner Rohaimi Mohd, 43, said he discovered the incident at about 5.40 am after checking CCTV footage on his mobile phone shortly after waking up.

The businessman, who has operated the family enterprise for the past 12 years, said the fire was still in its early stages when he arrived at the premises. Still, his attempts to extinguish it were unsuccessful.

"When I arrived, the fire had not spread extensively. I managed to enter the office, switched off the main power supply and tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but failed. My hair and skin were slightly burnt. In less than 10 minutes, the fire grew rapidly, and I had to get out to save myself,” he said when met at the scene today, just 50 metres from his house.

Rohaimi, who inherited the business from his late uncle, said the blaze destroyed stock worth RM170,000, including new supplies received just two days ago. Also destroyed were 22 refrigerators and freezers, as well as a Yamaha NVX motorcycles.

"I am at a loss thinking about my family's future because we depend entirely on this business for our livelihood.

"My four employees also rely on this business to support their families. At the moment, I can only pray that Allah will show us a way through this hardship,” said the father of four.

Meanwhile, the officer-in-charge of the Kuala Terengganu Fire and Rescue Station, Thoyibbah Taib, said they received a report about the fire at 6.28 am, and quickly deployed three fire engines and 18 personnel to the scene to carry out firefighting and rescue operations.

"The blaze was brought under control and fully extinguished by 6.49 am. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no casualties were reported,” he said. - BERNAMA