KUALA LUMPUR: Several residents of Kampung Pandan Indian Settlement here are left with only the clothes on their backs after 15 squatter houses were razed in a fire last night.
Sentul Fire and Rescue Station Chief, Mustafa Kamal Mohd Arih, said they received the call at 9.15pm and estimated that about 15 squatter houses and two workshops were destroyed in the fire.
He said the forensic team is conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, a fire victim who only wants to be known as Ghafur said they became aware of the fire during the Tarawih prayers last night.
The man, in his 40s, who works in the cleaning sector, said he had been renting in the squatter area for the past four months.
"I didn't have time to save any personal belongings, but I'm grateful to be safe," he told Harian Metro when met.
It is understood that the area has been inhabited by local Indian families for several decades.
