BATU PAHAT: A former religious teacher, Noorsiah Sahran, 78, perished in a fire that took place in the wee hours of Monday morning.
A fellow villager, Faizah Wahab, 27, recalled that a day before the tragic incident, she saw the victim in town and was shocked to find out later that Noorsiah was killed in the blaze that razed the septuagenarian's ancestral home at Parit Gaung near Parit Sulong.
Noorsiah, who used to teach at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato Sulaiman here, died in the 5.45am incident, and her body was found under a pile of burnt zinc.
Faizah said she only learned about the tragic incident after it went viral on social media.
"Last Sunday, I had bumped into Noorsiah in the Parit Sulong town. She seemed fine. Suddenly, I learned the shocking news that she died," she said.
It is understood that the elderly victim lived on her own in the house which did not have any electricity or water supply.
Meanwhile, Batu Pahat district police chief and Assistant Commissioner Ismail Dollah said they received a report regarding the incident at 9am.
He said investigations at the scene were carried out by a team from the Parit Sulong police station aided by firefighters from the Batu Pahat and Penggaram fire stations.
"The house's structure is made of wood, and the remote location from the rest of the villagers saw the home burn to the ground.
"When the team was putting out the flames, they came across charred remains under a pile of burnt zinc.
"Further inspection has determined that the body was that of a senior citizen, Noorsiah, who lived alone in the said house.
"Police are still investigating, and the case has been classified as sudden death," he said when contacted.
