THE STAR
KLANG: Twenty people, including children and a baby, were trapped inside their upper-floor homes that were covered in dark and thick smoke for more than 45 minutes when a ground floor warehouse was razed.
They had to be rescued using ladders by a team of firemen while the fire raged on.
Syamri Sakin, 28, who lives on the third floor, said it happened so fast and all he could think of was to save his family.
“I grabbed my mother and two nieces and quickly went downstairs despite the thick smoke.
“Everything was so messy on the ground when we arrived. I saw many other neighbours being helped by the firemen,” said Syamri.
The victims from six families were later rushed to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital for smoke inhalation treatment.
During the 11am incident yesterday, the warehouse that stored plastic materials and polystyrene in Taman Seri Andalas was believed to have caught fire at its front before it spread to the upper floors.
Due to the flammable plastic items, the fire spread quickly.
Five cars and a motorcycle parked in front of the four-storey building along Jalan Seri Sarawak 18 were engulfed in flames.
Syamri, who did not manage to save anything from his home of eight years, said that he was thankful that all his family members and neighbours were safe.
“Although we will have to clean and re-arrange our homes for Hari Raya, it is lucky that no one was hurt,” he added.
Meanwhile, Klang Fire and Rescue Services Department acting zone chief Amer Haizal Sahak said they managed to control the fire within 30 minutes after arriving at the scene.
They had to use ladders to evacuate the residents living in six different units above the warehouse.
“We rescued them from both the front and back portions of the building,” he said.
Four engines with 30 firemen were deployed to the scene, Amer Haizal said, adding that the cause of the fire was being investigated.
Meanwhile, South Klang OCPD Asst Comm Azman Abdul Razak refuted rumours circulating on social media alleging that the fire was caused by a bomb.
“Those are lies spread by malicious people. Even those living in the area said it wasn’t caused by a bomb,” he told The Star.
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