Kg Baru fire: Brave babysitter carries baby boy out from burning house

KUALA LUMPUR: A babysitter braved thick smoke carrying a three-month-old baby boy to safety when fire razed five houses near the Kampung Baru gateway in Jalan Raja Muda Musa, here last night.

Robiah Abdul Raof, 38, said at the time of the incident she was with the baby when she spotted smoke on the upper floor of the double-storey house.

"The baby was sleeping at that time and I immediately picked up the baby to escape the fire. I didn't have time to grab clothes or identification documents.

"The fire was raging (on the upper floor of the house) and there was thick smoke, but I was determined to save myself and the baby that I have been caring for the past three months. At the time of the incident, the baby's parents were working," she told reporters at the scene.

Visibly shaken, Robiah was very grateful that she managed to flee to safety with the baby.

Meanwhile, house owner, Abdul Rahman Maarif, 65, said his (partitioned) house comprises five small units, which house nine of his employees who work in a nearby restaurant.

He claimed that the fire was caused by a short circuit due to the condition of the house which was 60 years old.

"Previously the workers told me there was a problem with the wiring and I fixed it before tonight's fire," he said.

In the 8.19 pm incident, the houses were destroyed. However, no casualties were reported.

-- BERNAMA