Bittersweet: Muhamad Haniff (second from right) receiving a certificate of appreciation from Johor fire and rescue department director Siti Rohani Nadir.
JOHOR BARU: It has been almost half a year, but the agonising cries of an 82-year-old man trapped in a burning house still haunt trader Muhamad Haniff Tumiran.
He was preparing food in his kitchen in Kampung Paya Redan in Pagoh, Muar, at about 2am that day in August last year when he saw a bright light coming from behind a school nearby.
“I went out to see what was going on and realised that the light was coming from a burning home,” he recalled.
“I rushed over but by the time I got there, the fire had already destroyed about 90% of the house.”
Muhamad Haniff said he then went to the back of the house to see if there was anything he could do to help.
“That was when I heard the man’s cries. When I found him, I could see that some parts of his body were already badly burnt.
“I will never forget his cries. It stays in my mind until today. What made me even sadder was that I was unable to save him.
“I could not find his wife, but I managed to get their granddaughter out of the house.
“Unfortunately, she died on the way to the hospital,” he said, adding that the couple’s other granddaughter managed to escape on her own.
The tragedy led to the deaths of Mohamed Nor Mohamed Yassin, 82, his wife Ara Abd Hamid, 76, and their granddaughter, Noradriana Nor Hasyim, 11.
The other granddaughter, who is 14, suffered injuries.
Muhamad Haniff said the tragedy left him heartbroken as he had known the elderly couple since he was a young boy.
“I used to play football at the school field in front of their house. They were such a lovely couple. It’s horrible that such a tragedy happened to them,” he said.
On Wednesday, Muhamad Haniff was among 30 people including firemen and media personnel who received certificates of appreciation from the Johor Fire and Rescue Department during its monthly assembly.
“I am grateful for the recognition. But I wished I could have saved their lives,” he said.
A 48-year-old man was later arrested over the incident and accused of the murder of his own parents and niece.
The man was also charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code for causing grievous hurt to his other niece, which he pleaded guilty to and was sentenced to a nine-year jail sentence with a RM5,000 fine.
