KOTA BARU: Seven wooden houses built more than 40 years ago were destroyed in a fire here this morning, displacing some 30 people.
However, there was no report of casualties in the fire at Jalan Sultanah Zainab.
Kota Baru Fire and Rescue officer Zukri Shafie said 40 firemen rushed to the scene after receiving an emergency call at 8.11am.
He said the seven houses belonged to eight families and were about 50 per cent destroyed when firefighters arrived at the scene five minutes later.
"We managed to control the fire from spreading to nearby buildings about an hour later.
"The fire also destroyed a car and two motorcycles," he told reporters when met at the scene.
Sulaiman also said the losses and the cause of the fire are currently under investigation.
One of the victims, Muhamad Haikal Hashim, shared that he was resting inside his room when his youngest brother alerted him about the fire.
"My five-year-old brother rushed into my room and told me that he saw smoke coming from our kitchen.
"I rushed to the kitchen and saw the fire had spread to the kitchen's wall. Seeing this, l grabbed my brother and alerted my parents to run for safety," said the 30-year-old self-employed.
Despite losing all their belongings, which he estimated were worth about RM50,000, Haikal said he was grateful that his parents, Mardiana Yaakub and Hashim Yusuf, both 46, and his brother were saved.
Another victim, Zarizi Dollah, said he lost about RM5,000 when the house, which he rented with his 53-year-old brother Khalid, was destroyed in the fire.
"We only lost kitchen appliances, two beds, a refrigerator and a set of old sofas in the fire," said the 49-year-old trader who rented the house since 2020.
