DBKL flats to be inspected after fire incident

The aftermath: Initial findings found that the cause of the fire at Block 70 of the Sri Sabah flats in Cheras was not firecrackers but wiring issues, says Muhammad Salleh. — WILLIAM GARY/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The Fire and Rescue Department will form a taskforce to carry out comprehensive inspections at all Kuala Lumpur City Hall flats, says its Kuala Lumpur director Muhammad Salleh Abdul.

He also said initial findings found that the cause of the fire at Block 70 of the Sri Sabah flats in Cheras was not firecrackers but was due to wiring issues.

On the taskforce, Muhammad Salleh said it would lay out suggestions needed for the current system at the DBKL flats.

“We will look at the outcome from the taskforce but looking at the fire incident (at Block 70 of the Sri Sabah flats in Cheras), there is a need for an upgrade of the system,” he said when met at SK Sri Cheras yesterday.

On Saturday night, a total of six houses on the 17th floor of Flat Sri Sabah were burnt, leaving 16 residents homeless.

On the cause of the fire, Muhammad Salleh said initial forensic investigations found that the fire originated from the electrical wiring distribution board of Unit 3 on the 17th floor.

“Claims that firecrackers were the cause of the fire are not true. We believe the fire started with the electrical wiring of the distribution box,” he said.

On claims of faulty fire hydrants, he said the department had established that it was not the hydrant but the hose reel system, which could not be used.

He also pointed out that the fire hydrant was functioning, but the pressure was low in the area.

“We had to use our machinery and another pump from the 15th floor manually,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), Dr Zaliha Mustafa, said families who lost their homes in the fire would be given transit houses by City Hall.

She said the affected families would receive cash assistance totalling RM7,300 each, which was contributed by the Federal Territories Department (RM5,000), DBKL (RM1,000), Bandar Tun Razak’s parliamentary office (RM1,000), and Welfare Department (RM300).

The families would also be given essential items such as rice cookers, toiletries and other daily necessities, she said.

She also said that DBKL would help repair units affected by the fire.

Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is Bandar Tun Razak MP, accompanied Dr Zaliha, Women, Family, and Community Development deputy minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Kamarulzaman Mat Saleh and Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, as they met the displaced families and surveyed the damages.