JITRA: The family of ustaz Abdul Razak Saad, 48, was left homeless after their house in Taman Tunku Sarina here was destroyed in a fire earlier Wednesday afternoon (Jan 22).
According to Abdul Razak, he was at a neighbour's house at the time of the incident when he was informed that a fire had broken out at his own home.
"I rushed back, but the fire spread rapidly because of the strong wind. Thankfully, my children, aged seven and 11, managed to escape safely as they were the only ones at home - my wife had gone to work," he told Bernama on Wednesday.
He added that the incident happened so quickly that he could not save his belongings.
Abdul Razak said that three of his vehicles, including a new car, were destroyed in the fire. However, he is grateful that all his family members are safe.
"Currently, my family and I are staying at a relative's house not far from here," said Abdul Razak, who teaches at a school in Tunjang.
Meanwhile, Jitra Fire and Rescue Station chief, Senior Assistant Fire Superintendent Mohd Bustan Karudin, said they received a call at 1.08pm and arrived at the scene at 1.19pm.
He said the blaze was brought under control by 2pm, with personnel from the Fire and Rescue Stations of Jitra and Alor Setar as well as assistance from the Kodiang and Padang Sera Volunteer Fire Brigades.
"The fire involved two houses and three cars. One house was 90% destroyed, while the other house was 5% affected," he said.
Meanwhile, the cause of the fire and the total losses are still under investigation. – Bernama
