MELAKA: A 59-year-old man perished while five others were injured when their two-storey house at Lorong Bandar Hilir 3 in Banda Hilir here was engulfed in an inferno on Friday.
In the 4am incident, the deceased was identified as Tan Kim Hock from Segamat, Johor and was believed to have been trapped inside the house before suffering severe burns.
Melaka Fire and Rescue Department's Operations Commander Senior Fire Officer Suhaimi Atan said a distress call was received at 3.58am on Friday (March 21) when a fire engine from the Melaka Tengah station was dispatched to the location.
"Upon arrival, firefighters found that 70% of the house was ravaged and one victim managed to escape, while four others were successfully rescued by a man.
"However, a 59-year-old male victim could not be saved and was found lifeless inside the house," he said.
Suhaimi said that the fire also destroyed three vehicles and other belongings.
The operation was led by the Melaka fire station with reinforcement from Padang Temu fire station and involved a total of 20 personnel, with support from other related agencies.
Those injured comprised four men and a woman aged between 50, 65 and 76.
A 38-year-old China national identified as Chen Xia Oyong was among those injured and all victims are currently being treated at Melaka Hospital.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
