Grandmother, grandson perish in early morning fire, four survive

A 50-year-old grandmother and her four-year-old grandson died after their house in Taman Puteri Indah, Tongkang Pechah, here, caught fire, earlier today.

Penggaram Fire and Rescue Station chief, Senior Assistant Superintendent Saifulle Idris said the dead victims, Siti Zaleha Jaafar and Ahmad Shuhil Ahmad Osman were found unconscious during the rescue operation, before being pronounced dead a few hours later at the hospital.

"The residence occupied by the two victims was a two-storey house and there were six individuals in the house when the incident happened at about 1.02 am this morning," he said when contacted today.

Saifulle said four others who were injured, were treated at the Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital (HSNI).

The injured were Siti Khairiah Mohd Don, 28, Ahmad Syaihan Ahmad Osman,3, Ahmad Syahid Ahmad Osman, four months old and a woman known as Wati, 30, believed to be a maid.

He said about 70 per cent of the house was destroyed and all the victims were rescued by firemen through a window on the second floor using a ladder.

"The cause of the fire and the estimated losses are still under investigation and the rescue operation ended at 3.18 am," he said.

Saifulle said the rescue operation involved 25 personnel from the Penggaram and Batu Pahat Fire and Rescue Stations.

Meanwhile, the bodies of the two victims were buried at Bukit Cermai Muslim cemetery, here at 3 pm this afternoon.

--BERNAMA