Fire at Sri Sabah flats caused by wiring issues, says KL Bomba chief

KUALA LUMPUR: The fire at Block 70 the Sri Sabah flats in Cheras on Sunday (Feb 11) originated from the electrical wiring distribution board of Unit 3 on the 17th floor, says the Fire and Rescue Department.

Its Kuala Lumpur director Muhammad Salleh Abdul said this was the result of initial forensic investigations.

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“Six units were involved in the fire but one was saved in time. The investigation has established the fire started from Unit 3, which was closed.

"The investigation showed there was almost a 95% chance the fire was caused by the distribution board wiring.

"We will continue (with) the investigation into the cause of the fire and other matters. The fire spread from Units 2 to 6.

“On the issue of the faulty fire hydrant, we have established that it was not the hydrant but the hose reel system.

“Firemen were unable to use the hose reel, and the hand reel was not there, so they tried to open another one but failed.

“The hydrant is functioning but the pressure is low in this area. So when we were putting out the fire, we used another pump from the 15th floor,” he told reporters on Tuesday (Feb 13) after a site visit.

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He said claims that the fire was caused by firecrackers were not true.

Earlier, Muhammad Salleh accompanied Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa; Deputy Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad; Kuala Lumpur mayor Kamarulzaman Mat Saleh; Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail; and Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai to meet the displaced families and survey the damage.