GEORGE TOWN: Two senior citizens, including a well-known lawyer, were killed in a fire at a legal firm here.
Renowned former lawyer Datuk San Markan Ganapathi, 88, and Chandra Binwani Jiwatram, 60, a clerk at the firm along Lebuh King, died in the mid-afternoon blaze, possibly from smoke inhalation.
Penang Fire and Rescue Department director Mohamad Shoki Hamzah said San Markan was discovered near a window, seated on a chair, at 1.05pm on Monday (April 13).
"The other victim, Chandra, was found later near a wall, beneath a pile of files, at 3.32pm," he said when met at the scene.
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Shoki said thick smoke, believed to have been intensified by the large amount of paper files stored in the building, is likely to have contributed to the deaths.
"But this will be confirmed by forensic and hospital authorities.
"The bodies have been sent to the Penang Hospital for further examination," he said, adding that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
It was earlier reported that two people were believed to be trapped in a fire that engulfed a double-storey shophouse along Lebuh King here.
The Fire and Rescue Department said it received a distress call at 12.14pm.
Firefighters from the Lebuh Pantai station, with assistance from the Jalan Perak station, arrived at the scene at 12.25pm.
The fire was put out at 2pm.
