IPOH: An elderly woman with disabilities (OKU) was killed after the house she was living in at Jalan Lahat, Simpang Pulai, near here, was destroyed in a fire last night.
Perak Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department Operations Division Assistant Director Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said the department received an emergency call at 10.31pm and personnel from the Simpang Pulai Fire and Rescue Station were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Firefighters arrived three minutes later and found the blaze engulfing a Class A single-storey house, with about 90% of the structure already damaged.
"Upon arrival, the fire was found to have spread to almost the entire house, and there was a victim believed to be trapped inside.
"After the fire was extinguished, the body of an 81-year-old local woman, who was deaf and mute, was discovered in a burnt condition in the living room, located in the middle of the house," he said in a statement on Thursday (Feb 26).
Sabarodzi said the victim's 79-year-old brother, who was also in the house at the time, managed to escape when the fire broke out.
He said the operations commander conducted a size-up before implementing the RECEO (Rescue, Exposure, Containment, Extinguishment and Overhaul) concept, and ordered personnel to carry out firefighting works until the blaze was brought under control at 11.20pm.
A total of 27 personnel were involved in the operation, including members from the Pasir Puteh Fire and Rescue Station and the Pekan Baru Fire Volunteer Squad.
The victim's body was later handed over to the police for further action.
Sabarodzi added that the Fire Investigation Division, together with the police, conducted investigations at the scene, while the Fire Department’s K9 Detection Unit was also deployed to assist.
"The cause of the fire and the estimated losses are still under investigation. The operation was fully concluded at 1.01 am," he said. – Bernama
